Untitled Sermon (28)
Notes
Transcript
Again I want to welcome everybody that is joining us online today.
And for those joining us for the first time, I especially want to welcome you and would encourage you to take a moment and fill out a digital connect card at mcf.life/online so that we can better connect with you and send you some information about our church.
If you are new to our church, it would also be helpful for you to know that here at MCF we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to better understand what the Bible says and how it applies to our lives.
That being said, we are currently doing that through the book of Acts. A NT book written by a first century disciple named Luke, who wrote it for two primary reasons:
First, to give us a history of the church. How it started. Who was there, the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, to give us a ministry template of sorts. A template for how to accomplish the mission Jesus has given us to take the gospel to the entire world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to MCF.life where you can watch or listen to all the messages leading up to today.
Today however we are picking back up in Acts 16 as Paul continues his second missionary journey.
If you weren’t with us last week, this journey began as Paul first visited a group of churches he had planted on his first missionary journey.
And as we learned last week, Paul went back to those churches for two primary reasons:
First, to deliver a decision that had been made by the Jerusalem church concerning circumcision.
You may recall, a group of false teachers known as the Judaizers had been teaching that if a person wanted to be saved, not only did they need to put their faith in Jesus, they also needed to be circumcised and become Jewish as well.
But according to the Apostle Peter, the Apostle James, and the Apostle Paul, nothing could be further form the truth as they verify that it’s not through circumcision, but only through faith and faith a lone that a person can be saved.
That being said, Paul now returns to correct the false teaching and set the record straight. That’s why Luke writes:
4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.
Second, he came back to these cities to further strengthen and disciple them. Luke writes:
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
Luke says Paul not only corrected the false teaching, but he continued to strengthen the churches through further teaching and instruction. Which is what discipleship is all about as we commit to helping people grow in their faith. Something we should all be committed to doing as we lead people to faith in Jesus.
So, that’s why Paul went there first. But now with his phase of his mission accomplished, Paul is ready to move on and plant new churches in new cities.
Which brings us to our passage today and a specific challenge that Paul will face as he seeks out new ministry opportunities.
So, what was the challenge?
We’re going to get to that in a minute, but before we do, I want to begin by building some framework for what we’re about to read. In order to do that, I want to begin by asking you a couple of questions that I’m almost positive we can all relate with. The first question is this:
Question #1 - Have you ever been driving somewhere and encountered a roadblock?
For example, maybe you were on your way to an appointment, and you took the route you always take, only to discover there was construction work and the road was blocked.
Or maybe you thought you new where you were going, but you took a wrong turn and came to a dead end. A roadblock of sorts.
That can be frustrating, right? So, what do you do in a situation like that?
Well, it depends. If it’s construction work, hopefully there’s a detour. A route that will get you where you need to go, but might take a little longer to get there.
If it’s a dead end, well, you’re probably going to have to turn around and find the right route, because that road is going nowhere.
I think if we think about it, we’ve all encountered some kind of road block when driving.
Let me ask you this:
Question # 2- Have you ever made a decision to do something or go a certain direction with your life only to face a roadblock?
For example, maybe after some prayer and thought, you decided to sell your house and purchase a bigger house.
But then you experienced a roadblock, because after several months, it didn’t sell, and the bigger house you wanted sold.
Or maybe you went to the bank to get the financing for the bigger house, only to encounter a roadblock as the loan officer informs you that you don’t qualify for the loan.,
Or maybe you decided to look for a different job, something that paid more. So you filled out the application, you went to the interview, only to encounter a roadblock when you were told you lacked the necessary experience.
Or maybe you decided to get married, only to encounter a roadblock as the love of your life backs out of the wedding.
Again, discouraging. Because you kind of had your heart set on a bigger house, a better paying job, or marrying that person. It just seemed right. But now here you are, sitting alone, still stuck in your little house with your old job.
That’s discouraging right? I mean you prayed about it, you felt good about it, and now you have these roadblocks, and they’re keeping you from moving forward and getting what you want.
Again, I think we call all relate with a scenario like that. A scenario where we’ve tried to make a change or go a specific direction only to encounter a roadblock. Something that is keeping us from getting what we want.
The reason I ask you to consider these questions, is because as we come back to Acts 16 today Paul is facing a situation like this. A situation where he is trying to go a specific direction. But with each decision and direction he takes, he faces roadblocks. Roadblocks that prevent him from moving forward in the direction he had hoped to go.
And so to help us understand what’s going on here and how this applies to us, I have three goals this morning:
Goal #1 - To read through this passage and find out what these roadblocks were. In other words, what was keeping Paul from moving forward in the direction he had chosen.
Goal #2 - To look at why these roadblocks took place.
Goal #3 - Based on what we learn from Paul’s experience, to determine a couple of things:
First, why God allows roadblocks in our lives.
Second, how we should respond when faced with a roadblock.
So, with that as our basis, let’s jump into our passage and find out exactly what these roadblocks entailed. Beginning in verse 6, here’s what Luke tells us:
6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
Luke says that after visiting the churches in Lystra and Derbe, Paul and his companions headed into uncharted gospel territory as they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.
So, to help us get a visual of this, I thought it might be helpful for us to see it on a map.
Go to Map
You’ll notice first their journey started as they left Jerusalem and from there traveled North through Syria and into Cilicia where they visited the churches in Derbe in Lystra.
If you recall, this is where they met Timothy and Paul invited him to be a part of his ministry team. We talked about that last week.
But now it’s time to move into new territory. So, Luke says, “And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia...” which would have been the path we see here.
But here’s what I want you to notice about what Luke just told us. Because Luke says they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia for a reason. Look again at why he says they went this way, He says they went this way, “…having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”
Lukes says prior to taking this path, Paul had a different destination point in mind. Luke says Paul wanted to go to Asia.
You say, why Asia? Probably because in Asia there was a specific city that Paul saw as a great place to share the gospel.
If you look on the map, It was a city called Ephesus, and in the first century was a large Greek port city and an epicenter of trade and commerce. Which means, practically speaking, going to Ephesus made since. It’s a perfect place to plant a church and spread the gospel.
But apparently in his desire to go to Ephesus, there’s a road block. What’s the road block? Luke says it’s none other than the Holy Spirit. Because Luke says as Paul attempts to head to Ephesus, the Holy Spirit forbids it.
So, that raises a couple of great questions. The first question being, “Why did the Holy Spirit forbid it?” And the second question being, “How did He forbid it?”.
Let’s start with the first question, “Why did the Holy Spirit forbid it?” I’m going to suggest Luke implies two reasons here:
Reasons #1 - The Holy Spirit is the one leading, not Paul.
Here’s what Luke wants us to see. He wants us to see that while Paul is the leader on this journey, the Holy Spirit is the one making decisions and directing their path. Solomon puts it like this in Proverbs 16:
9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.
And this is an important point that Luke is making. Because if you’re going to follow Jesus, you have to come to terms with the fact, that to follow Jesus means exactly what you think it means. It means you’re the one following, and He’s the one leading.
And this story is a great reminder of that. A reminder that if we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus, we are no longer the ones driving the car.
And while Paul knows this, the Holy Spirit is reminding him of this. Because apparently Paul initially has his heart set on going to Ephesus.
And so to keep Paul from taking the wrong path, the Holy Spirit steps in and reroutes Paul’s GPS.
So, that’s the first reason the Holy Spirit did this. Because He’s the one leading, not Paul.
This leads us to the second reason the Holy Spirit steps in, and I would state it like this:
Reason #2 - Paul’s timing was off.
How do we know? We know because later on in Acts Paul will go to Ephesus and plant a great church. But apparently now isn’t the time. Why not now? It could have been for a number of reasons.
For instance, it could be Paul wasn’t ready to deal with what he would face in Ephesus. Because as we’re going to discover later on in Acts, Ephesus presented quite a challenge for Paul. So, maybe God needed to grow and mature Paul in some specific ways before he tackled a city like Ephesus.
It could also be that Ephesus wasn’t ready to receive the gospel at this point. That if Paul had gone there his message wouldn’t have been well received.
To be honest, we just don’t know. But what we do know is that for whatever reason, the Holy Spirit is putting up a roadblock. So, that’s the why for this particular roadblock.
This now leads us to the question of how. How did the Holy Spirit stop Paul.
Again, we don’t know for certain. The word translated “forbidden” here comes from the Greek word “kolyo” and literally means to prevent, forbid, or hinder.
So, what that tells us, is that as Paul made plans to head to Ephesus, in some way the Holy Spirit made it difficult for him to go to there.
So, how would the Holy Spirit make it difficult? Well, again, there are probably a number of ways the Holy Spirit could have done this.
For instance, it’s possible that as Paul prayed about going to Ephesus, the Holy Spirit gave him an uneasiness about going there. In other words, he just didn’t have a peace about it.
Or maybe the Holy Spirit worked through Silas or Timothy, as they conveyed concerns about going to Ephesus. Concerns that Paul hadn’t considered but as they discussed it, it makes sense and resonates with his spirit. Enough to persuade Paul from going there.
Again, we don’t know exactly how the Holy Spirit communicated this to Paul, but as Paul begins to head towards Ephesus, the Holy Spirit makes it clear that at this point, this isn’t where He wants him to go.
So, how does Paul respond to that? Well, as you would hope he would. well. Because instead of going to Ephesus, Paul and his companions continue moving west as they travel through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.
But the roadblocks aren’t over. Because as they travel, it’s not long before they hit another one. Look at what Luke tells us happened next:
7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
Luke says as they travel west, they arrive in the region known as Mysia, and it’s at this point they once again attempt to change their GPS direction and go north into Bithynia. You can see Bithynia here on the map.
But just like the last time, a road block is presented. Because Luke says as they attempt to go north, the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Roadblock #2.
Now, again, this raises some questions, and maybe the most obvious question would be in the change of terminology. Because if you didn’t catch it, instead of saying that the Holy Spirit stopped them, this time Luke says it was the Spirit of Jesus.
So, a great question would be, “What’s the difference?” And if there is a difference “Why was the term Holy Spirit used the first time and the Spirit of Jesus the second time?”
To be honest, it’s interesting that Luke does this, because in all actuality, the term “Holy Spirit” and “Spirit of Jesus” are interchangeable terms. Meaning, there is no difference. Which means, by using the term “Spirit of Jesus”, Luke is just referencing the Holy Spirit in a different way.
The question then is, “Why would he do that?”
We can’t say for sure what his reasoning was, but what it does do is it gives us greater insight into how the Holy Spirit and Jesus work hand in hand.
Here’s what I mean by that. In John 14, as Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure, he makes them a promise. Quoting Jesus, John writes:
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Jesus promises in his absence He will send the Spirit of truth to be with his disciples who will be a helper to them in His absence. Jesus then goes on to say this in verse 26:
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Again Jesus references the Spirit of truth, but this time He refers to Him as the Holy Spirit.
So, what that tells us then about the Holy Spirit, is that there is more than one name that is used to describe Him. Because Jesus calls Him both the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Truth. And apparently, they are one and the same.
But notice as well He says when the Holy Spirit comes, Jesus says He will come in His name. So, what does that mean?
It means when the Holy Spirit comes, He will come as a representation of Jesus, but in Spirit form. And here’s where we get some greater insight into how Jesus and the Holy Spirit work together.
Because as part of the trinity, apparently the Holy Spirit is the spiritual representation of Jesus in our lives. And again, what this terminology does is help us better understand how Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is actively working in our lives.
Which means, while Jesus isn’t with us in physical form, He is always with us in spiritual form through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Now, I know that might seem a little confusing. And to be honest the concept of the Trinity is difficult to explain. Because it’s hard for us to wrap our minds around the idea that God is one in three persons.
But maybe what we can wrap our minds around is that each has their specific function in our lives. And that’s what Luke’s terminology helps us see. That not only is the Holy Spirit our helper, but He represents the spiritual presence of Jesus in our lives. Which again, is good news. That’s why, right before his ascension into heaven, Jesus said this:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus says He is with us always. How? Through the Holy Spirit.
And this ought to bring us great comfort to know that by His Spirit, Jesus is not only with us, but He’s actively working in our life.
Because that’s exactly what is happening here, as Jesus himself gets involved and stops Paul from changing his direction once again.
So, a great question would be, “Why another roadblock?”
Well again, all we can do is speculate, because Luke doesn’t tell us why. However, most scholars believe it could have something to do with the fact that Bithynia might have been a difficult place to minster. Why? Because in the 1st Century, this area was not ethnically, geographically, or politically in unity. As a result, culturally and linguistically, people were all over the board. Which means, ministering there could have presented some challenges that would have been difficult for Paul to overcome.
So, to keep Paul from facing a challenge he’s not equipped for, Jesus puts up a Roadblock.
Because while Paul’s desire to go to Bithynia is admirable and good, God actually has something better for him. Something more suited for him. Something that will prove more fruitful.
So, just like before, He stops him.
Now, again, we don’t know exactly how the Spirit stopped him. What we do know is in this moment Paul realizes it’s not the path God has for them. Why? Because God has something better. How do we know? We know because of what Luke says happened next. Look at what he says:
8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
Luke says after encountering the second roadblock, Paul and his team continued on their journey and came to the city of Troas, which as you can see on the map is the furthest west they can go by land.
And it’s at this point that the Lord speaks to Paul, but this time we’re actually told how the Lord spoke to him. Because listen to what Luke says happened:
9 And 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.”
Luke says as Paul was obedient to the Lord’s leading, the Lord gives Paul a vision. A vision of a man in the region of Macedonia, which as you can see on the map is across the Agean Sea and to the North.
And in this vision, this man from Macedonia is pleading with Paul for him to come over to Macedonia and help them. And apparently the vision is so moving and obvious to what God wants, that Luke says Paul can only come to one conclusion because listen to how Luke says he responds to the vision.
10 And 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.
Luke says after the vision is over, he quickly shares it with Timothy and Silas, and they conclude together that God had called them to preach the gospel in Macedonia.
And now, after two roadblocks, they now know with certainty where God is leading them. And as we’re going to see in the weeks to come, their ministry in Macedonia will be one for the history books.
Now, at this point, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, this is all very interesting. I’m happy for Paul and I’m glad he finally figured out where God was leading him. But what exactly does this have to do with me? And how does this apply to my life?”
How about this, if you’re a Christian, it applies in the same way.
Because the facts is, just like the Holy Spirit was actively leading Paul, He’s actively leading you and has a plan for your life. And what this passage teaches us is how that leading sometimes work.
And how it works is that sometimes God puts up the same roadblocks in our lives. And based off of what we’ve learned in this passage, if I were going to name the roadblock, I’d all it the:
Roadblock #1 - Not now, but later roadblock.
This is the roadblock that prevents us from jumping into something outside of God’s timing.
It’s the roadblock that says, “It’s not time for you to switch jobs right now”.
It’s the roadblock that says, “It’s not time to buy that bigger home right now”.
It’s the roadblock that says, “It’s not time for you to date or get married right now.”
It’s the roadblock that says, “Listen, I know this is something you want right now, and someday it will happen, but not now”.
How many of you have ever run into that roadblock? I think we all have. And what a frustrating roadblock that can be. Because I don’t know about you, but when I want something, I want it now.
But the reality is, not everything we want right now is good for us right now. Sometimes it’s better for us later. Why?
Well, it could be for a number of reasons. Here are just a couple for you to consider:
Reason #1 - I’m not ready for it.
For example, when it comes to the new job you want, It could be your not equipped yet for the new job. It could be you need more experience in the job you have.
When it comes to the bigger house you have your heart set on, it could be you’re not financially prepared for the bigger mortgage.
When it comes to a ministry opportunity, It could be you need more time to grow more spiritually.
When it comes to marriage, it could be have some areas of personal growth that need to take place first.
Listen, it could be a number of things that God wants to do in and through your life before He gives you what you want right now.
A great example of this can be seen in the life of Moses.
In the book of Exodus God specifically called Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian slavery.
But in his zeal to help his people, Moses jumped the gun by killing an Egyptian who was beating an Israelites. An action that forced Moses to leave Egypt and spend 40 years in the wilderness before God would bring him back to deliver the people.
So why 40 years? Was God punishing Moses? No, not at all. It was simply a “Not now, but later” for Moses.
Yes, God had called him to deliver the Israelites, but not now. Because before Moses could do it, he needed to learn some lessons. He needed to have some experiences. And maybe more than anything, God needed to humble him. It was a not now, but later roadblock.
I know I’ve experienced this in my life.
Right out of Bible College I originally thought I’d be a Lead Pastor.
In fact, many of my professors and mentors encouraged it. And to be honest, I was all for it.
But the more I prayed and thought about it, the more God closed the door on that idea. Which was a little frustrating.
But looking back on it, I can see right out of Bible College I wasn’t ready to be a Lead Pastor. That there were some things I needed to learn first. There were some experiences I needed to have. There were some lessons I needed to learn.
And I can tell you, had I not learned learned those lessons and had those experiences, I would have fallen on my face, and I probably wouldn’t be here today. So, God sent me on a 10 year journey in a different direction. Why? Because I wasn’t ready for it. It was a “Not now, but later” roadblock in my life. And I’m glad God put that roadblock up.
Which leads us to a second reason God sometimes puts this roadblock up.
Reason #2 - God is protecting you.
The fact is, if we got what we wanted now and not later, it could be destructive in our life.
For example, when it comes to that new job you want right now, it could lead to no job later.
Maybe that bigger house right now would lead to financial hardship later. Maybe there’s something coming down the pike for you financially that you don’t know about. And so God is saying, “Not right now”.
Maybe getting married right now would lead to divorce later. I don’t know.
The reality is, if God gave us everything we wanted right now, we might be sorry He did.
And so in his grace and love He protects us by saying, “Not now, but later”.
And quite honestly, what a great roadblock it is, because it often saves us from ourselves. So, that’ the first way it applies.
But just like God did with Paul, sometimes He puts up another roadblock. The one we referred to as the:
Roadblock #2 - That’s good, but I’ve got something better
The fact is, in your desire for something good, God might have something better.
Something you can’t see yet. Something that will bring greater blessing into your life. Something that will bring greater reward.
Maybe it’s not just a good job, but a great job He wants for you.
Maybe it’s not just a bigger house, but a better house.
Maybe it’s not just a good marriage, but a better marriage.
Maybe what you want is good, but God has something better.
But here’s the deal, in order to go from the good to the better, there’s a couple steps you have to be willing to take:
Step #1 - Don’t try and remove the roadblock.
This is one of the biggest mistakes I often see Christians make when they don’t get what they want. As they try and make something work or something happen when God obviously has said, “Not now, but later”. Or when he has obviously said, “That’s good, but I’ve got something better.”
So, instead of listening, they force the marriage.
Instead of listening, they keep shopping banks until they find one that will give them the mortgage.
Instead of listening, they keep searching for the dream job.
Instead of listening, they force their agenda or their desire until they get what they want.
And here’s the deal. Eventually, if you push hard enough, God will let you have what you want. But I can promise you this, you probably won’t be ready for it, and it won’t be the best that God has for you.
So, as frustrating as it is. The best thing you can do when you encounter the roadblock, is trust that God has put it there for a reason.
That there’s a reason that relationship didn’t work out.
There’s a reason not one, but two banks said no.
There’s a reason your job search is turning up fruitless.
There’s a reason that God has put up a roadblock. And it’s probably one of two reasons. Either it’s a “Not now, but later”, or it’s a “That’s Good, but I’ve got something better”.
I don’t know about you, but I want God’s timing and I want what He considers better. But for that to happen, we need to accept the roadblock.
This leads to a second step:
Step #2 - Ask God for new direction.
What I find interesting is that when most people face a roadblock, their initial reaction is to get mad and frustrated. But what if our initial reaction was to ask God for new direction. To pray like the Psalmist does. Because listen to how the Psalmist prays when it comes to God’s direction in his life:
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
The psalmist prays, “God make me know your ways. God show me where to go. God lead me into your will for my life.”
I have to think that’s what Paul probably did. That as he faced his roadblocks, instead of getting mad, he prayed for direction. And direction God gave him as he then showed him a vision of a man in Macedonia.
And what was true for Paul will be true for you. But again, for that to happen, you have to stop trying to remove the roadblock, and instead, seek God for new direction.
And I can promise you this, if you’ll do that, eventually God will clearly and plainly give you direction and open up doors in your life that won’t just lead to good things, but great things.
Let me give you another personal example of how that works, and I close with this.
In 2012 my wife and I took a ministry position in PA where I served as an Executive Pastor for almost 2 years.
And while we loved the people and the church, in my second year there, two things happened that I wasn’t expecting.
The first thing that happened is I started getting restless. For some reason I just felt unsettled. I didn’t have a peace.
The second thing that happened is I had this crazy idea that maybe God was calling us to go back to Kansas to be a Lead Pastor.
In fact, I thought it was so crazy that I dismissed it without much more thought.
But as time went on, the feeling of restlessness and unsettledness continued to grow and the lack of peace became almost unbearable.
And so as I tried to figure out why I felt so unsettled, my first thought was that maybe I was unsettled because we hadn’t bought a home yet. Because I’m the kind of person that likes to lay down roots. And so I thought maybe if we bought a home, and laid down roots, I will feel more settled.
So, we started looking for a house, and very quickly found one we liked and immediately made an offer.
But surprisingly our offer was refused, even though we were within a few thousand dollars of the asking price.
In fact, our realtor was so shocked and offended by it, that on her advice we didn’t counter and decided to keep looking, which led us a second house we liked. In fact, we liked it even more.
And so like the first, we put down an offer, this time pretty much at the asking price. An asking price we knew they couldn’t refuse. But would you believe it, but we were refused once again.
Now, as you can imagine, at this point I was getting pretty frustrated. We had now found two houses we liked, had put down two reasonable offers, and both had been shot down.
And so, once again, on the advice of our realtor, we started looking for third house.
But as we looked, and as I prayed about it one morning, I clearly heard the Lord speak something into my heart. And here’s what He said.
He said, “Brad, if you put an offer down on a third house, it’s going to be accepted. And if you want to stay in Pocono, that’s fine. You’ll have a good ministry here. But it’s not my best for you. I have something better for you.”
And in that moment, a thought entered my mind. Can you guess what it was? It was that crazy idea of going back to Kansas to be a Lead Pastor.
But this time I didn’t dismiss it. This time I decided to talk to my wife about it. Which I was a little concerned about, because I pretty much thought she’d think I was crazy.
Because growing up, my wife had three never’s. She would never be a Christian. She would never get married. And she would never live in Kansas.
But to my surprise, as I shared what the Lord had spoken to me with Denise, and how I wondered if God was calling us back to Kansas, she looked at me and said, “Brad, I’ve been having the same thought. I was scared to say something because I didn’t want you to think I was crazy.”
Is that not amazing?! At so at that point, instead of calling my realtor, I picked up the phone and I called Terry Yancey, the District superintendent for our fellowship in Kansas. And I said, “Hey Terry, it’s Brad Wicks. We feel God is calling us back to Kansas. So, tell me, what’s going on in Kansas?”
He said, “Well Brad, right now there’s a great church in Marysville, Kansas looking for a Lead Pastor. The contact person on their search committee is Carol Blocker. Would you like her number?” I said, “Give it to me”.
And the rest is history.
You see, Pocono was good place. And had I pushed to remove the roadblock, God would have let us stay there. But God had something better for us. A place where we would thrive and grow. A place where God would use us to do something great for His Kingdom. A place called Marysville Christian Fellowship.
And what was true for Paul, and true for Denise and I, is true for you as well.
So, as we close, here’s what I would challenge you with.
The fact is, some of you listening today are facing some roadblocks. Roadblocks that are frustrating you. Roadblocks that are keeping you from what you want. As a result, here are few closing thoughts I’d like you to consider:
Thought #1 - Who’s the one leading your life, Jesus or you?
I think that’s something we all have to be willing to ask ourselves. Because if we’ve made Jesus Lord of our life, then we have to be willing to let Him lead. And if you’re not, that maybe what you have to be willing to consider, is that the reason you’ve hit a roadblock, is because the Holy Spirit is trying to remind you that you’re not the leader, He is. And that maybe the way you’re trying to go is the wrong direction.
Thought #2 - Maybe Jesus put the roadblock in your life.
That maybe he’s trying to say, “Not yet, but later”.
Or that maybe He’s trying to say, “That’s good, but I’ve got something better.”
What I’d like you to consider is that while it’s a roadblock you weren’t expecting and is keeping you from what you want, that it’s not a roadblock that’s meant to keep you from what you want, but simply to detour you to another route. A route that might take a little longer to get there. But a route that will better prepare you for that desire.
Or it could be it’s a roadblock that’s meant to lead you to something better. Something more fruitful. Something more helpful. Something more fulfilling. Something you could have never imagined.
Thought #3 - If you’re willing to ask Jesus for new direction?
In other words, are you willing to put that desire down? Are you willing to forfeit what you want now, and get it later? Are you willing to let it go for something better? Are you willing to let Jesus give you new direction?
Because the fact is, God has big plans for your life. And He’s leading you on a path to something great. But along the way, you’re going to be tempted to take a shortcut or go a different direction, and in his love and mercy, God’s going to put up some roadblocks. And so, maybe, that’s what your roadblock is today.
And if that’s the case, the question then is, “How are you going to respond to the roadblock?”
Will you trust that it’s maybe a Not now, but later roadblock? Will you trust that it’s maybe a “That’s good, but I’ve got something better” roadblock.
Or will you get mad and frustrated? Will you try and remove the roadblock?
My prayer for you today, is that instead of getting frustrated, you’ll pray. That instead of trying to remove the roadblock, you’ll ask God for a new direction.
Because it could be, that what you think you need isn’t what He wants for you now, or isn’t His best for you. Maybe, just maybe, the roadblock is there to get you back or keep you on the right path.
Let’s Pray