"The Right Place" (Acts 16:6-10)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/13/2018 10:15 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  “The Right Place”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 16:6-10

            Message of the verses:  “6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

            As we begin this last section from the verses covered in the 6^th chapter of John MacArthur’s commentary I want to remind everyone, and of course myself, that the title of this section of verses that covered Acts 15:36 to 16:10 is called “Evangelism the Right Way.”  We have been looking at how Paul, Barnabas, and now Silas did evangelism in the correct way, the Biblical way as they were hands on with the people that they were witnessing to and then spent time with them discipling them so that they could begin to grow in the Lord Jesus Christ and then be able to tell of others about Him. 

            Paul, Silas, and Timothy were moving towards Asia which had cities like Ephesus, Smyrna, and Philadelphia, cities that are named in the second and third chapters of Revelation.  However the Lord would not let them go into those cities at this time for His reasons.  These cities were West of where they were and so as the Lord blocked the way West the missionaries turned to the North into Mysia which is the region north of Asia, however we’re told that when they tried to go further north they were also blocked by the Lord, as “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.” 

            The team, being blocked two times “came down to Troas.”  This was a port city on the Aegean Sea.  I am sure that the team knew that the Lord will get them where He wanted them to go and so they continued to trust Him for direction on where He was leading them.  While at Troas Paul received a vision in the night, and as I searched to find out how many times the word vision is found in the book of Acts, I found that it was eleven times and this is the eighth time in verse nine of chapter sixteen.  The vision that Paul saw was a man from Macedonia who was pleading with Paul to come over and help them.  Philippi and Thessalonica were two very important cities in this region.  Thessalonica is still there today.

            Verse ten tells us what happened next:  “When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”  John MacArthur writes “The missionary team’s experience illustrates a basic principle of knowing God’s will:  to move ahead and allow Him to close doors until the right opportunity is reached.”

            I want you to notice the highlighted word “we” in verse ten, as it is the first time Luke uses this word to describe that he too was along with the team at this point in time.  Luke, like Timothy was a very faithful friend of Paul, as they were loyal companions to Paul in his work for the Lord Jesus Christ.

            John MacArthur concludes this section and this chapter: 

“This passage illustrates the foundational principles of evangelism; God uses people with the right passion and the right priority, with the right personal taking the right precautions, to make the right presentation in the right place.  Any evangelistic methodology must be evaluated in the light of such realities.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that this is the right process for missionaries that go into the field, as they have to be in tune with the Spirit of God in order to find out where they are to go as a field, and then be willing to continue to listen to the Spirit of God if He desires them to move to another field.  I realize that all believers are to be missionaries, and sometimes the Lord moves people from place to place because of jobs or school, or things like that.  We all have to have the attitude of wanting to do what the Lord leads us, and who He leads us to in order to make room times when God will bring people into our lives to tell them about Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  “always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “A rooster crowing” (Luke 23:34).

Today’s Bible question:  Who said ‘God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you?’”

Answer in our next SD.

4/13/2018 10:47 AM