"How did the Spirit signal to Paul which way he was supposed to go?" That is a question in which Luke has absolutely no interest. As we will see, the point of this short passage is not how God leads, but that He leads.
I daresay that if you ask any older saint "Has God led you through your life?" you will get a resounding "Yes!" God leads us. Luke, of course, is telling about the progress of the Kingdom of God so that we can be certain of the truth of what we have been taught. The entire first missionary journey, and the first little bit of this second one, appear to have been Paul and Barnabas' idea. They go the way they think they ought to go. But suddenly, Luke introduces the Spirit of Jesus as the real decision-maker. In other words, Christ's kingdom rules not only human hearts and moral choices, but also mission work. Your plans are in God's hands. Who hears the gospel, and when they hear it, are in God's hands. That is the comforting message of this passage.
Featuring a sermon puts it on the front page of the site and is the most effective way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands including all mobile platforms + newsletter.
Text-Featuring a sermon is a less expensive way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands on the right bar with optional newsletter inclusion. As low as $30/day.
Caleb Nelson grew up in Ft. Collins, CO. Born into a Christian home, where he eventually became the eldest of 11 children, he has been a lifelong Presbyterian. He professed faith at the age of six, and was homeschooled through high school. He then attended Patrick Henry College...