Plans and Passions

Acts 16:6–10 ESV

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 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.” 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.

Intro -

The Denial of the Plan

After Paul and his team left Derbe and Lystra, where they picked up young Timothy, they journey westward, more than likely taking the Gospel and the Council of Jerusalem’s message that Gentiles were welcomed into the Kingdom.

Instead of traveling directly westward from Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium, they had to travel northwest because the Spirit forbade them to speak in the area known as Asia (not to be mistaken for China)

Traveling northwest, they then sough to just go north into another area called Bithynia but were promptly rejected again.

It seems that after the plans began to expand past the first level, that the wheels started to wiggle a little bit.

The keen idea of “are we there yet?” is no doubt in some of their minds as they assume a direction and are rejected now multipe times without a clear path forward.

There is always the battle, whenever you are being moved by the Lord, of whether or not to follow your own path forward or the Lord’s

In full transparency there are many times when I am the director of my path, my journey, even in my most noblest pursuits.

Just as Paul, Timothy, and Silas are here. Their desire is to move forward but they way in which they do it is stifled. In the Greek it speaks of them continually trying to go to Bithynia and yet somehow the Spirit of Jesus didn’t let them.

They hit their first road block and then pivoted and hit another without any direction other than what NOT to do.

I detect here that there is the subtlest of wooing from the Lord upon Paul and his crew to lean on the Lord.

When will you abandon the call because you have been met with rejection?

You had a passion, you had a god-given stirring within you, and yet when rejection came, you turned back and went home…settled in your familiar place and kicked your feet up and said…this is good enough!

What I fear family…is that some of us have settled into apathy because we have been told “no” by God too many times and we don’t know how to reconcile the “no” and the “passion” that we feel

We dilute the mission, lower the bar, so that we can meet it. Have you done that for yourself? We water it down to try to find a way where we can be on “mission” but also avoid rejection, frustration, and vulnerability.

Far too often this is usually where people begin to contrive their own paths forward. We come up with great schemes and ideas on how we can ACHIEVE what God has set out for us to do.

Yet we must understand in the wisdom of God…there is and can be a GUIDANCE BY HINDRANCE!!! There can be an OPPORTUNITY IN THE OBSTACLE!!

This is because the PASSIONS may be stored in man but the PLANS reside in the Lord…how He desires for this to be carried out is for Him to show us.

TR: When there is a denial of our plans…we must persist with a determination of our passion...

The Determination of the Passion

The goal of the journey is not just the arriving but the abiding....

God is ever challenging you to grow and persist! Keep pressing forward…Paul didn’t turn back to home base!

He landed in Troas and was wondering what in world is going on! “I want to serve you God, I know you’ve called me to preach the Gospel but you keep shutting me down!”

When I’ve been here the very thing that is attacking me is to try to judge myself by worldly views of success and productivity.

See, eventually God will direct your activity but you must direct your proclivity.

What I mean is that God is not going to neglect to eventually set a course for you…but until He does are you stirring up those desires in your heart to serve or are you waiting to burn hot once you know where you’re going?

One of the greatest frustrations of my marital life has been “are we ready to go yet?”....the answer is always “yes....but let me get some socks and shoes on” or “yes but let me put some earrings on real quick”....so basically you’re not ready...

Paul was passionate about getting this message out to the masses....don’t let that be lost on you here. Paul didn’t turn back.

Listen family…if we had this same passion burning in us what would it do to us? We’d be itching like crazy to serve not just each other but to serve those outside our immediate body!

We’d be thinking of innovative ways to reach this world, even during COVID, we’d be sending care packages to the neighbors on the block, letting people know that we know the last year has been hard but we’re here together, we’d be buying masks and giving them out, sending encouraging messages to our doctors/nurses and healthcare workers and teachers!....there still so much service to be done!!!

Just because God said “no” doesn’t mean “never” and doesn’t mean “not now”…it just means “not this way”!!!

But will your passion still be determined or will it be fleeting?

And this world should want this to be true of us…Paul was deadset on preaching the Gospel WHEREEVER God allowed him to go...

One way or another he was focused on getting unbelievers the Gospel because he believed in its power…this world needs a healthy dose of doing what’s best for people regardless of the personal sacrifice.

So here Paul is at Troas, having been denied preaching in Asia and Bithynia.

Troas was a port city and truly was the gateway to Europe. 2 Cor. 2:12-17 states that he was looking forward to seeing Titus here but didn’t get a chance to.

Paul eventually did get to preach in Asia in Acts 19 on his trip back but was greatly afflicted there based on 2 Cor. 1:8.

So here he is, having reached the end of his region, wondering were to go and he gets a vision...

TR: When the plan is denied but you’re determined in your passion give it time and God will give you a direction for the pleading...

The Direction of the Pleading

A man of Macedonia is pleading with Paul in this vision to come over to them and help.

Listen, if you are alive today then there is someone pleading for your help...

Here you may be thinking…what do I have to offer? I barely stumbled here.

I don’t care if your homeless, homesick, helpless, or lost…Paul no doubt was all of these things and yet he was used by God.

Here we have one of the greatest moments in Western history....the Gospel powerfully entering in to Europe and churches being established...

No doubt Acts 2 took the Gospel throughout the world but here we have the foremost Apostle of the NT entering a new continent and establishing churches after having just been directionless for a significant amout of time.

So you’ve been directionless this whole time, kinda winging it through life, every now and then you might have a moment of clarity but otherwise you’ve been trying to just make due.

LAND IT LOUD

You’ve been praying, you’ve been exploring, searching for an answer…you’ve had doors closed on you, friends leave you that were committed, you’ve been rejected by people that should have embraced you....this isn’t just Paul’s life…this sounds like yours....

And now here you are....on this day…feeling like not just you…but possibly those in your family, that you’re hear in this place…with all the passion to be useful but you just don’t know the plan...

And then God speaks!!!!

You heard the “man of Macedonia” as it were and you have purpose....but listen you don’t get there unless you remain on the journey!!!

You don’t get there if you fall into apathy or start hold tightly to your own plans....

What’s interesting is that the region of Macedonia…where we’ll come to meet the Corinthians, Bereans, and Philippians....is a well off region!!!

So what? What is amazing, is that while those people over there may possess all that this world could covet they are spiritually bankrupt and need what you possess!!!

So while you may be in a foreign place, looking for friends, God has a plan to use you in His reconciliation of the world!!!

The Macedonian man isn’t just lightly requesting help…no, he’s pleading!!! they’re in desperate need!!!

Do you realize that people need the strength and grace that the Gospel has endowed you with???

When you stop viewing your worth and value by the evaluation of this world and realize that God at times guides you with hindrance…so that he might slowly pull out of you a reliance on Him…you’ll get joy overwhelming!!!

Paul took this message to the fellas and they reasoned that it was of the Lord and “immediately” set out....what’s holding you back family?

There’s someone that needs the joy that God has given you access to…and strangely enough, it’s in obedience to giving them that, that you many times find that joy yourself...

Do you hear the pleading of the Macedonian Man…will you remain on the journey, in spite of the hindrance you encounter until you get direction? Don’t give in…don’t take rejection as absolute…don’t measure yourself by this world.

God has plans for the passions He’s placed inside you…don’t just seek to arrive…but seek to abide in His calling…and watch what He does in your life!