One of the most underrated and even neglected aspects of Christianity tends to be the ministry of the Holy Spirit. You might recall Jesus saying:
Jn 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
There was a purpose for our Lord sending the Spirit apart from …
(1) Wooing the soul unto salvation through the new birth.
Jn 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
(2) Teaching and reminding one of God’s will (Scriptures).
Jn 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
(3) Giving spiritual gifts.
1Co 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
(4) Giving fruits of the Spirit.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
We find that He guides us, prevents us from error and protects us from danger. Please read our next section in the Book of Acts:
Ac 16:6 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. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 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.
1) The travel experiences of missions.
(a) If your Bible has a map section at the back and if you have a modern map book [or use google], look at the areas spoken of in our passage … there is Phrygia, Galatia, Bythynia and Mysia … all provinces in modern Turkey … and Macedonia being in Greece. Their journey started like this …
(1) Syria and Cilicia – modern Syria and south-east Turkey (15:41).
(2) Derbe and Lystra – just north-west into Turkey (16:1).
(3) Phrygia and Galatia – central Turkey (16:6).
(4) Mysia and Bithynia – upper west and north Turkey (16:7).
(5) Troas a sea port on the upper west coast of Turkey.
(6) Macedonia – north Greece (16:8).
It is phenomenal what distances were travelled by these missionaries. Sometimes ships were used to cross seas whilst at other times they would use camels or donkeys … yet largely they walked. We can assume travelling took lengthy periods of time, though knowing Paul’s evangelistic heart, he never missed opportunities of sharing the Gospel wherever they went. Any Gospel worker and especially a missionary must never shrink back from traveling far distances and experiencing hardships along the way. People need the Gospel. Paul’s attitude like many missionaries in the 18th and 19th century were … “by all means”.
(b) Such missionary travels were not unplanned. Great strategic planning of logistics would have taken place because time, finances, endurance (energy) and people’s need were to come prayerfully under the eye of God. Today, be it in missions or a local Church’s ministry, good planning and strategizing are important if we are to be good stewards of the Lord’s Gospel and resources.
2) The Holy Spirit preventing ministry in the province of Asia. We read … having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. There was no doubt that preaching the Gospel and planting Churches were forefront in these missionaries’ minds. Then at some point the Holy Spirit blocked them from proceeding any further. Then we read:
Ac 16:7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
They are prevented from working the Gospel in that region. In verse 6 they are forbidden by the Holy Spirit and in verse 7 the Spirit of Jesus prevents them. There is no difference is using both terms other than to say the Holy Spirit prevented them from going into certain regions to ministry by forbidding them as an older translation says … and the Spirit of Jesus reinforcing it in their minds and hearts not to go there. The Spirit had other business for them to attend to! John Stott says in his commentary … “Livingston tried to go to China, but God sent him to Africa. Before him, Carey planned to go to Polynesia in the South Seas, but God guided him to India. Judson went to India first, but was driven to Burma.”
This is a crucial point for us to understand. It is not what we want to do. God’s will for our lives supersedes everything else we plan, however good it is. Two friends of ours studied for the pastoral ministry at different times. They both pastored Church’s but that was not what God wanted them to do. It’s not that they failed but that God had other plans for them. The one eventually started and steered a successful ministry in prisons that still operates today. There is nothing wrong with you making plans … but soak it in much prayer and be opened minded because God’s plans for you might be different to what you want. His way is always best and achieves the best results.
3) The Holy Spirit opens the door for God’s required ministry.
Ac 16:9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 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.
The Spirit guides them to the seaport of Troas and that night, gives Paul a vision. Now we see that what the missionaries might have seen as a negative turned into a positive. In this vision Paul sees a man from Macedonia calling them to cross over the sea to Macedonia to “help” them. How did Paul know the man was from Macedonia? Was it his accent or his dress … or was it the Holy Spirit? How did Paul understand the word “help”? He was an apostle and missionary. Would the help be anything other than preaching the Gospel? Missions is all about the Gospel and Paul knew this! Being sensitive to God’s will requires one to be in tune with God. How does one do this?
Gal 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
To live by the Spirit means to keep in step with the Spirit. To keep in step with the Sprit means to follow the Scriptures, for He is the author thereof … and when you are in the Scriptures you shall be living by the Spirit and know the mind of God for your life and ministry.
Our Father, make us hungry for Your Word so that we live by it, keeping in step with the Spirit and knowing Your will for our lives and ministry. Amen.