How it is that Paul and Silas, Timothy and Luke were there at Troas to see the vision of the man from Macedonia - the circumstances God used to bring this to pass
A remarkable account
A significant time in the cause of the gospel
This was the beginning of the spread of the gospel to Europe
Important when thinking about expounding the gospel post-Covid
These apostles were living through a time of great persecution
God was leading these men through a series of actions
God is at work even in instances that look bad
Example from rugby
Gods purpose was to take the gospel into Europe
The mission of the Church - to take the gospel to the nations
Overview:
A problem with the daily distribution of food - Acts 6
Seven men were chosen to deal with this problem
The apostles handed this ministry over to the seven men
Stephen was a powerful preacher
Stephen's defense - Acts 7
v56-58
Stephen was killed in front of Saul (7:60 – 8:1)
He heard Stephen pray as Jesus prayed on the cross
It seems that everything has gone wrong
How could Saul be saved?
Yet God saved him on the road to Damascas
God was working in Saul
God's sovereign call - Acts 9
Think of anti-Christian sentiment today
Saul is dramatically changed
Saul is utterly changed such that there is a plot to kill him
God has broken in
God can break in at any time and do something new
The church in Antioch comes into being - Acts 11
Linked to Stephen and Saul – v19-20
An innovation - preaching to the Greeks, not the Jews
Do we need to do something different?
Unnamed individuals - not the church in Jerusalem
They took a bold step and God blessed them
The church in Jerusalem send in Barnabas – v23-24
It is too big for Barnabas and brings in Saul
v26
They work together
Others join Barnabas and Saul – 13:1-3
Barnabas and Saul are set apart to a greater work/call of God
We may need new things rather than doing the same old things
The gospel is established in Asia Minor (Modern Turkey)
Lots of problems - examples
Silas joins them from the church of Jerusalem
There was a terrible disagreement between Barnabas and Paul
They separate
God opens the way for the gospel to go into Macedonia (into Europe)
God has been working through all of these circumstances for the advance of the gospel into Macedonia
Can we look back and see how God has worked in the circumstances of our lives?
Not just our individual lives but of churches too
What are the possibilities post-Covid?
Example of the workings in Macedonia
The potential of speaking to those that we don't even know yet
Looking out as well as looking in
Illustration
Do not draw hasty conclusions of what God can do
An outlined of God's working traced through the book of Acts - so the gospel will advance
