Closed and open doors

Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 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.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. – Acts 16.6-10

Our ways are often not God’s ways. Paul and Silas wanted to continue to preacher the gospel in Asia. They went to the region of Mysia and tried to enter Bithyna. They travelled on to Troas. Troas is a port city just about as far west and you can get and still be in Asia. There was really no place else to go.

But just across the Aegean Sea was the city of Philippi in the region of Macedonia.  In a vision one night Paul saw a man of Macedonia say ‘come over and help us.’ God had closed the doors, at least for a while, to Asia. The gospel was about to reach out into Europe. This was a massive step for the spread of the gospel. It was no longer a local phenomenon. The Great Commission was about to spread to the ‘uttermost parts of the earth.’

Paul and Silas now had their open door. The Macedonian Call was the call of the Spirit to move out with the gospel again.

God may not act with a dream like He did Paul. But still, even today, God’s people all over the world respond to the call ‘come over and help us.’ Missionaries still leave hearth and home and what is familiar to reach out the world that hasn’t heard the gospel. People in the gospel saturated parts of the world need to consider the cry of the peoples who have never heard of Christ.

Since we have been in Ireland I have spoken to many Christians who can remember begging God to send people to Ireland to help them spread the gospel. Many have answered that call. How will God’s people respond to His calling?