Following God’s Voice

At this point, Paul’s ministry has undergone some major changes. Paul had been traveling with Barnabas and they had been very successful in the Lord’s work. RC They both wanted to go and revisit the churches that they had established. But there was a sharp disagreement between the two over whether or not to allow John Mark to go with them.  As a result, they split up, Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, and Paul chose Silas and went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. 3 years—2700 miles

Acts 16:1-5 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. ² The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. ³ 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. ⁴ As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Paul and Silas traveled to Derbe and Lystra, where they met Timothy and Paul chose him to join them on this mission. Paul and Silas were also delivering a decision reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentiles.

EXPLAIN…You will do well to avoid these things.1529 (yet Timothy is circumcised.)

Vs3 tells us: Acts 16:3 “Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area,…”

Paul and Timothy here are not contradicting their beliefs or the findings of the council when Timothy is circumcised. They’re not doing this for Timothy’s salvation or his right standing with God, but so that Timothy’s status as a non-circumcised man from a Jewish mother and a Greek father would not hinder their work among the Jews and in synagogues.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. They understood the need to be all things to all people so they might save some.

What we see here is that Timothy is willing to sacrifice his freedoms to see some saved, edified, built up, encouraged, and strengthened.

Acts 16:6-8 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.     MAP

Paul and his companions set out for Asia but the Holy Spirit made it clear that this was not where they were to go. Then they set off for Bithynia but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to go there either.

Paul didn’t ignore the direction of the Holy Spirit, he didn’t try to bargain with God, he didn’t get angry with God for not allowing him to go where he wanted to go, and he didn’t rebel against God’s plan. No, he simply obeyed the voice of God. Discerned it was God’s Voice

If we are honest, most of us have flunked this test at one time or another. Sometimes we have honorable desires/intentions but they are not what God would have us to do. So instead of being obedient, we try to fit God’s will into our plans. It doesn’t work that way! God knows best and He has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us as we serve Him.  (GOD’S VOICE)

“Discernment is a Spiritual gift that enables us to differentiate. It gives us the ability to see issues clearly. (Not from a worldly perspective but from a Spiritual perspective)

We desperately need to cultivate this spiritual gift that will enable us to know what is of the Holy Spirit and what isn’t, right from wrong, and the truth from a lie.

Discernment and Consequences

Acts 16:9-10 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.  

Interesting that it was the voice of a man. Why a man, a person, a human being? Why wasn’t it the voice of an angel or the voice of God Himself? I believe it was a man in Paul’s vision because God wants to impress upon us that our focus ought to be on PEOPLE.… (Begging to hear the Gospel)

While in Troas, Having made a 400-mile journey, God gave Paul a vision, and in this vision, God provided the direction that Paul needed to move forward.

When Paul received the Macedonian call, he got ready at once. Immediately they set out to go where the Lord had called them to go. It is not enough to simply know what God wants from us, we must be ready to go and do it!

We must have the determination that we will obey Him even when He calls us to go places, we don’t want to go, even when He calls us to stay places where we don’t want to stay, and even when He calls us to do things that we don’t want to do.

Acts 16:11-12 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.        (Stayed waiting to hear from God)

Acts 16:13-15 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.    

Paul heard and discerned God’s voice-Followed God’s Voice—God led him to a river in Philippi where people were desperate to hear the gospel. Paul’s focus was on God, and hear me God’s focus is always on people.

They were traveling from place to place. The Holy Spirit did not allow them to preach in Asia or Bithynia. As they traveled, they had to be committed to following God’s voice. It seems to me they didn’t know when and where they were going next.

It also illustrates another important message, God doesn’t give us much notice or information before we are to act. Only a person who is committed to serving God, committed to listening for and hearing His voice can keep moving forward or stop on the spot.

They sat down and began to talk to some of the women from the city. These women were worshipers of God, but they had not yet heard the Gospel message. On that day, they were saved.

If we fail to follow God and follow the Holy Spirit, we will miss those opportunities that are waiting.

What that means is that sometimes our hopes, dreams, desires, and fears must take a back seat to what God has for us to do.

In this story, so full of divine intervention, we see the sovereignty of God in salvation; as Jesus said, John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them”.                                                    

God was drawing these women to Himself and He used Paul to bring them home!

This story illustrates the importance of following God’s voice.

(RECALCULATING—QUENCHING)