Come over and help us

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." - Act 16v9

I was going to skip over this, since I am a “missionary” (I prefer the term “church planting pastor”) and since it is a verse that most people have heard many times. Yet, I think there is a message here that is good for us all.

Paul, Silas, and the new believer Timothy were all set to go into Turkey and preach the gospel. Somehow, we are not told how, the Holy Spirit stopped them. In words we might use today; God closed that door of service.

Then God sent a vision to Paul. In the vision a Macedonian was calling out to them, “come over to Macedonia and help us.” God knew that the time was right to preach the gospel in Philippi and other cities of Macedonia.

A couple of brief lessons for us. First, the old saying “When God closes one door He opens another,” has some merit. Paul did not force the door to Turkey open, but waited for God’s direction. How often do we get in trouble because we insist on kicking doors open?

The second lesson is obedience. Paul and the team simply obeyed, they took the gospel into Macedonia.

I don’t know how all of this plays out today in the will of God and missionary calls, but I do know that we are better to obey God then our own stubborn wills.