Acts 16 | Taking RisksSample

There’s an odd little passage in Acts 16 where is says, “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. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:6-7; ital. ours).
People have long wondered what this means. How did the Holy Spirit keep them from preaching in Asia? How did the Spirit of Jesus stop them from entering Bithynia?
Did Paul, Silas, or Timothy receive a prophetic message, or maybe a vision? Or maybe a strong internal sense of conviction that wouldn’t go away? Was it some external set of circumstances unmentioned—closed doors and opened windows, as the old saying goes? Some speculate it may have even been an illness Paul faced, a possible “thorn in the flesh” as he talks about in 2 Corinthians 12, that led him to seek out Luke in Troas which in turn led Luke (a doctor) to become a traveling companion and scribe Paul’s journey.
Acts doesn’t say.
What we do know is that the Holy Spirit led them, and continues to lead.
If we look on a map, what we can also see is that Paul planned to stay connected to his homeland on the Turkish peninsula, either traveling southwest towards the region called Asia, or circling back around towards the northeast into Bithynia.
God had other plans.
God had Paul thread the needle between the two. Neither veering towards the right or left, for Paul, it would be a straight line towards Europe. Farther and deeper into Gentile regions and Roman colonies.
Paul doesn’t know this. It’s only revealed to him along the way. After being kept by the Spirit from veering right or left (and in turn, it seems, obeying), only then does he receive a vision for his next step. “During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ 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” (Acts 16:9-10).
When it comes to God’s plans and the things he’s calling us to, we want the whole picture. More often than not, God only gives us the next step. And then he waits for us to obey.
That can be scary. It requires us to step forward without seeing the end. If we could see the whole thing at once– the whole outcome – it might be easier (or harder, if we saw the cumulative daunting tasks we’d have to face). But faith is about trusting the outcomes to God, and simply doing what he asks. That means risk. Risking the unknown and trusting it to God.
Psalm 119 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” In a day before streetlights, you’d carry a lamp to guide you in the dark. A lamp may only show the next 30 feet ahead. You won’t see what’s beyond that. This is what obedience is. Trusting God, one step at a time. And trusting that after you take that step, he’ll continue to guide you, step-by-step, all the way.
About this Plan

Following Jesus leads to taking risks. It was true for his first disciples. It will be true for you. This 5-day plan continues a journey through the book of Acts, the Bible’s gripping sequel of Jesus at work in the life of his followers as he expands his kingdom to the ends of the earth. It’s a journey on what it means to be a Christian. It’s a story in which you have a role to play.
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We would like to thank Fellowship of Faith for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://fellowshipoffaith.org
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