Second Journey Series

Introduction

Video Ill.: Paul’s Second Journey - Graphe

This morning, we are continuing our summer road trip, going along with Paul on his journeys as recorded in Acts.

Last week, we journeyed with Paul and Barnabas as they traveled throughout the province Asia, teaching about Jesus. We saw that the gospel will always spark some kind of reaction from hearers. Sometimes its good; sometimes it isn’t.

We saw how Satan, through this world, tries to disrupt the spreading of the Gospel, but we also know that in the end, he will not win.

This morning, Paul’s second journey is recorded in Acts 15:36 - 18:22.

Before Paul leaves Antioch on this journey, he and Barnabas go their separate ways over an argument about whether John Mark should go with them. John Mark had quit part way through the first journey, and returned to Jerusalem, for reasons we do not know. Because he left part way through, Paul felt strongly that John Mark should not go on this journey. Barnabas, however, argued for taking John Mark.

Unable to resolve the disagreement, Paul and Barnabas go their separate ways, Barnabas taking John Mark on a missionary journey, and Paul taking another believer from Antioch named Silas.

Let’s see what we can learn from Paul’s second journey this morning.

First thing we see is that we need to be attune to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 16, we read:

6 … Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. 8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. ||

9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. (Acts 16, NLT)

Paul and Silas had spent a little time going back to visit some of the churches from their first journey.

They then planned to go up further into the Asian province of Bithynia, but Luke tells us that Paul was barred from going there.

Some have suggested that this barring could have taken the form of something physical — possibly that Paul was sick due to his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7).

In seeking medical treatment for his illness, Paul met Dr. Luke. It is interesting that it is in this passage where Luke becomes a part of the traveling party. Up to this point, though his gospel and the book of Acts, Luke has been a third party, outsider, telling the story.

Now, Luke becomes a traveling companion with Paul, and from what we can determine, remains with Paul throughout the rest of his journeys.

Whatever it was, though, God was using something to block Paul from traveling northeast into this other province.

The door in which he was standing in front was closed.

The door was not closed once, but twice, according to Luke.

So now what? What was Paul going to do?

Haven’t we been there, too? Staring at the closed door in front of us and wondering what we are going to do next — wondering what God has in store for us?

Staring at the Closed Door

Source: Helen Keller in The Faith of Helen Keller. Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 1.

https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1995/august/1028.html

Copied from Preaching Today

Helen Keller once said, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

We can get stuck, you see, standing there in front of the closed door — unable to move — unable to change directions — unable to see what is next.

And sometimes it’s not that we just stand there looking, we actually get upset by the closed door, and want nothing more than to go through the door.

Longing for the Closed Door

Source: Alexander Graham Bell, Leadership, Vol. 3, no. 3.

https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1995/august/1032.html

Copied from Preaching Today

Alexander Graham Bell said, “When one door closes, another one opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.”

Thankfully, Paul did not get stuck standing in front of a closed door.

Instead, God had a message for Paul — to go a different direction.

In our lives, we need to listen for the Holy Spirit — to hear His promptings, to follow His leading.