When You Want to Go and God Says "No!"When you want to Go and Acts 16:1-11

Sermon by Pastor Dennis Gleason -- May 27, 2007

¹Paul and Silas went first to Derbe and then on to Lystra. There they met Timothy, a
young disciple whose mother was a Jewish believer, but whose father was a Greek. ²Timothy was well thought of by the believers^£ in Lystra and Iconium, ³so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴Then they went from town to town, explaining the decision regarding the commandments that were to be obeyed, as decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. ⁵So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew daily in numbers.

⁶Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time. ⁷Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the province of Bithynia,^£ but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go. ⁸So instead, they went on through Mysia to the city of Troas.

⁹That night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia in northern Greece, pleading with him, “Come over here and help us.” ¹⁰So we^£ decided to leave for Macedonia at once, for we could only conclude that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.

¹¹We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. ¹²From there we reached Philippi, a major city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony; we stayed there several days.

Missed Opportunities

The story is told of a young man who wished to marry the farmer's beautiful daughter. He went to the farmer to ask his permission. The farmer looked him over and responded, "Son, go stand out in that field and I'm going to release three bulls, one at a time. If you can catch the tail of any one of the three bulls, you can marry my daughter."

The young man stood in the pasture awaiting the first bull. The barn door opened and out ran the biggest, meanest-looking bull he had ever seen. He decided that one of the next bulls had to be a better choice than this one, so he ran over to the side and let the bull pass through the pasture out the back gate.

The barn door opened again. Unbelievable. He had never seen anything so big and fierce in his life. It stood - pawing the ground, grunting, slinging slobber - as it eyed him. Whatever the next bull was like, it had to be a better choice than this one. He ran to the fence and let the bull pass through the pasture, out the back gate.

The door opened a third time. A smile came across his face. This was the weakest, scrawniest little bull he had ever seen. This one was his bull. As the bull came running by, he positioned himself just right and jumped at just the exact moment. He grabbed... but the bull had no tail!

Life is full of opportunities. Some will be easy to take advantage of, some will be difficult. But once we let them pass (often in hopes of something better), those opportunities may never again be available.

The same thing is also true of opportunities to serve Christ. God often opens doors -- opportunities to speak up for Him, opportunities to minister to someone who is hurting or in need, opportunities to make an influence on the world around us. If we allow them to pass by (perhaps because we are waiting for something easier to come along), we may miss out on them altogether.

"Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God. Also pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message." (Col. 4:2-3a, NCV)

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Gal. 6:10)

May you take advantage of the doors God opens for you this day! Alan Smith alansmith.servant@gmail.com

There are times when we want to go for Christ. There is a desire or burden on our heart and we feel as if we need to do something about it.

From our investigation of the previous chapter of Acts (15) we know that Paul and Barnabas had such a burden and they decide to go back and see how the churches they established on their first missionary journey were doing. But Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them again and Paul objected. The issue was so contentious that they parted and went their separate ways.

We know that they went out proclaiming the gospel message on the basis of Matthew 28:19-20. 

¹⁸Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Their plan was for Jesus’ disciples everywhere to make disciples of all the nations. This indicates for us that Jesus’ plan was that the whole world , Jews and Gentiles, were to be discipled. Paul and Silas are operating under what we call the Great Commission.

What is interesting is that the verb “go” is one is used in such a manner that it actually means “as you go” make disciples. It is in the ordinary, everyday kind of going that takes place in a person’s life. We know that this “commission” is for everyone who becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ. You and I don’t need a special call of God to go out and make disciples. We already have it right there in Matthew. I may never go to the jungles of Africa or the teeming cities of China. If I don’t, it is still OK! The message for me is to make disciples where I am, as I go about living my life.

Paul chose Silas to go with him and he went off through Syria and Cilicia. Silas is thought to be one of the men sent from the church in Jerusalem to share the results of the Jerusalem council with the Gentiles in Antioch of Syria.

They went first to Derbe and then on to Lystra. It is in Lystra that Paul meets a young disciple named Timothy. He was a young man who was well thought of by believers in Lystra and Iconium.

They went from town to town explaining the decision reached in Jerusalem regarding what was required for salvation…faith and faith alone. Before leaving Paul had Timothy circumcised. Does that seem a little odd to you? Paul just won the argument that circumcision or any other addition from the old Law of Moses were not required for salvation. And here he is having the very thing done that he had argued against earlier. Is Paul being inconsistent?

Of course not! This is one of those things that is “adiaphora”. It is one of those things that is optional. It is not forbidden and if it makes Timothy easier to accept by the Jews they will encounter on their journey, then it makes sense not to close doors to the Jews for whom this is essential in their lives.

Then we come to the place where Paul and Silas get their “No!” from God.

They are traveling through Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit would not let them go into the province of Asia.

Think about this for a moment. There are needy people in the province of Asia just as there are in all the other places they have been preaching the gospel. One wonders why God would not let them hear the gospel. The Holy Spirit won’t let them go into Asia.

Jeremiah 29:11-14a tells us that God has “I know the plan I have for you, a plan to prosper you and not to harm you, a plan to give you a hope and a future…”

The principle we need to understand is one that is hinted at in Acts 18:9-10. Paul was in Corinth and Jesus spoke to him in a vision and said: “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you and no one will harm you because many people here in the city belong to me.”

There are people in that city who belong to God. They don’t believe yet, but they will. God knows their hearts. He knows that when they hear the good news it will resonate in their hearts and they will believe.

God knows that the word they are going to proclaim is not going to resonate in the hearts of people in Asia. He knows this. Time is short for Paul to do the work God has called him to do. As a result of all of this, God shuts the door. God says “No!” “Not now.”

Scripture is clear that when God opens a door no man can shut it; and when God shuts a door He intends that we labor elsewhere. We all can attest to the fact that you can continue working in an area where God has closed a door. If you are unaware of what God has done or you are going where you want to go, you can continue on there, but it will not have any impact for Christ or His Kingdom.

I am reminded of the old preacher who was speaking with a young pastor who was struggling in his ministry. After speaking with the young man at length the old pastor asked “Was you called or did you just went?” If you are called to go, God will bless our efforts. If you “just went” then you are going to experience frustration and dark days and nights of futility.

The key for us is to allow the Holy Spirit the privilege of directing us. Let him show you the way. If your heart and mind are open, he can and will show you the plan he has for you. He is more interested in showing you than you will ever be in being shown the plan.

If He closes a door, don’t try to pry it open. If he opens a door, be sensitive to his direction and go through the door.

Paul Little in his little booklet Affirming the Will of God tells of a young Christian friend who signed a contract to teach. In August before school was to begin, she received another offer from a school closer to where she wanted to live. So she broke the original contract (p. 17). Do you see a problem with this?

Psalm 15:4 gives us a Biblical principle. The Psalm begins with the question: “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Verse 4 contains this phrase in answer to that question:

“and keep their promises even when it hurts.”

This young Christian should have honored the first contract she signed even if it was more costly to her in terms of time and convenience. She made a promise and she did not keep it. She pried open a door and walked through it.

Her justification: she had prayed and “I have a peace about it.” she said. The department chairman at the school where she did not go said, “Isn’t that wonderful. She has peace and I have the pieces.”

Look at our text. You will see that Paul and Silas go to the border of Mysia. No door open here. Then they go to the province of Bithynia. No door open there. There is no indication that they preached or established churches in either of these areas. Again the Spirit of Jesus would not let them go. So they went on through Mysia to the city of Troas. Now this is a lot of “go” with a lot of “No”.

It is in Troas that Paul has a vision at night. He saw a man from Macedonia in Northern Greece pleading with him “Come over here and help us.” (16:9) The response we have from Luke is “So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, for we could only conclude that god was calling us to preach the good news there.” Did you notice the “we” in this last verse? Luke is now traveling with Paul and Silas. He includes himself as part of this group going to Macedonia.

They go to Macedonia and on to Philippi. Philippi was a major city and a Roman Colony. Look at what happens while they are there; Lydia, a woman from Thyatira,  becomes a convert to Christianity. This woman was a worshipper of God. As she listened to Paul preach the good news, God opened her heart and she believed what Paul was saying.

Paul and Silas are attacked by a mob, beaten and then they were imprisoned. Around midnight, Paul and Silas were singing and praying and the other prisoners were listening to them. An earthquake struck, and the prison doors swung open. The man in charge of the jail was going to kill himself, assuming the prisoners had escaped. Paul ministers to the man and his family, they believe and are baptized.

Paul and Silas go on to Berea where they are accepted. Here we note that the Bereans carefully studied the Scriptures to see if what they were preaching was true to God’s Word. And many Jews believed as did a number of prominent Greek women and men.

The door is open. They go through the door. On the other side they begin discovering God’s people there. And as they hear God’s Word proclaimed they respond by believing.

What does all of this tell us? God has many people all around us who have never responded to the Good News. We need to seek the open doors God has waiting for us and then have the courage to go through them. God has many people waiting on the other side; waiting for someone like us to come to them and share the love of God through the good news about Jesus Christ.

God will close some doors. No matter how much you want to go…the answer is no.

There are things we have done in the past for Christ that will lead to a closed door today or tomorrow. Someone once said the seven last words of the church were: “We’ve never done it that way before.” Isn’t that tragic? Shouldn’t our response to the leading of the Spirit of Christ be: “You lead, I will follow?”

If a door is closed, don’t pry it open.

Accept the fact that this door is closed.

Look for the open door that is somewhere before you. There will be one somewhere. Look for it. And when you find it…Don’t be afraid the take that bull by the tail!

Be prepared to go through it by stepping out in faith. God has some people who belong to him on the other side waiting for someone to come and share the good news with them. Let’s be that one!

--Dennis Gleason