Come Over...help Us!

COME OVER…AND HELP US

ACTS 16: 6-15 NOVEMBER 24, 2002

ACTS 16:6-15

6Paul 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. 7When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10After 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.

11From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. 12From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

13On 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. 14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15When 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.

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Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:

Help! Help! Those words very often call us to attention. If we’re willing and able, we are often anxious to help as much as we can. We would even help strangers whom we’ve never met before if they are in dire need. Now, why would you and I help anyone (especially people we might not even know)? Simply because, as scripture reminds us, it is the Lord who has helped us first. So, in our entire life, even though we may not think about it, all the things that we do and say, we do because of the Lord’s help for us.

The psalm-writer describes it this way. He says, "I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation"(PSALM 118:13,14). Because of that, you and I are changed. We are different than the unbelievers in this world who are not anxious to help anyone at all except themselves. When you and I hear, ‘Help! Help!’, we are anxious to come to help them. It reminds us of our text where the man from Macedonia says, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." We’re going to use that as our theme today as we look at the inspired words that God has placed before us.

COME OVER…AND HELP US

I. A gospel call from God Himself

II. A gospel call for souls to be saved

I. A gospel call from God Himself

Paul and his friends were on their second missionary journey. They were re-visiting some of the congregations that they had made on their first journey. When they were coming to the end of seeing those congregations and the believers there, Paul wanted to expand his trip. He wanted to go north into Asia. We’re told, 6Paul 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. So Paul had made plans, plans to visit the congregations that he had been at before, and then plans to go north into Asia. What do we see here? They were not God’s plans, were they? The Spirit prevented him from going there. But what are we told again? When they came to the border of Mysia they tried to enter Bithyneia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. They passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. Again, this region was a little north, so they continuing on to the coast. Troas was on the coast. If you picture in your mind, Paul traveled west, hoping to go into what is now Greece and Italy. Paul wanted to go and preach the gospel. The Holy Spirit said, ‘Not yet. Now is not the time to go north.’ The time would come soon, wouldn’t it?

We find in the next verse of our text, 9During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Here they were on the coast of Asia Minor (on today’s map). Looking across the sea was Macedonia. The man said, ‘Come over and help us.’ What do you think? Paul hears this ‘come help us’ and he’s like any other believer, he’s going to try his best to come help those who have called for help. 10After 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. It was true. The Lord used a vision at times to direct His people, especially in the Old Testament and in the early New Testament. The vision directed them as to what they should do. When this man from Macedonia called, ‘Come over, help us!’ Paul realized this was a gospel call from God. We’re told they got ready at once. The next day, after a nights rest, Paul and his friends went to Macedonia to preach the gospel because someone had said, ‘Come over and help us.’