When Doing God’s Work is interrupted • Acts 16:4-15
By Melody Mercer
I’m here to tell you that there are so many different emotions when God moves you from one ministry to another. Friendships are made, and some are closer than family. The fruits of the ministry can be seen, but you know that God is calling in a different direction. It is definitely bittersweet. There are tears shed because of what’s being left behind, but excitement for what lies ahead. At times, you go kicking and screaming because selfishly you don’t want to go, but there is no doubt that God is calling you to a new ministry. I would always think of Abraham and how much faith he had. When God called him, he didn’t know anything except that God had told him where to go, and had given him an amazing promise. He went, no questions asked, and trusted the whole way. Being in ministry and trusting God with each step requires tremendous faith.
There are other times when you feel that it’s time for a new ministry and seek God’s guidance in that. Everything is moving along and doors are opening. All of a sudden, every door shuts and God says “no.” This is where we find Paul. He is on his second missionary journey with Silas and Timothy.
“They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” (v. 17-18 CSB).
When God shuts the doors, keep trying the next one. God saying “no” can be such a disappointment, but remember that God knows what He’s doing. We can’t see in the moment that what He has for us is so much better than we can ever imagine. God kept Paul moving because He had a specific ministry for him.
“During the night, Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, ‘Cross over to Macedonia and help us!’” (v. 9 CSB)
Scripture says that they immediately got ready to set out for Macedonia. Paul and his companions didn’t waste any time. Verse 10 begins the “we” section of the book of Acts. This extends until verse 17. The “we” indicates that Luke joined Paul’s journey, and is a single unified source for the narratives — most likely Luke’s own memory or the notes he took (CSB Study Bible). The group traveled to Phillipi, where they stayed for several days.
Toward the end of our passage, we meet a woman that I’ve heard about all my life, Lydia the seller of purple. As a child in Sunday School, you’re taught that purple meant royalty, and Lydia was an important and successful business woman. She also became a believer. When Paul meets her, she is gathered with some women outside the city gate by the river. In Phillipi, Jews would gather here because they did not have a synagogue. Paul and his companions set out on the Sabbath to find the place of prayer, but instead found this group of women. Meeting on the Sabbath was a pattern of evangelism Paul started on his first missionary journey (CSB Study Bible). As Paul spoke:
“A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying” (v. 14 CSB).
Lydia was a pretty significant person in Paul’s ministry. She was the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. Not only did Lydia believe and was baptized, but also her household. She shows her generosity and hospitality by opening her home to Paul and his companions, providing them a place to stay and preach the gospel.
We’ve talked about the perfection of God’s timing. God detoured Paul’s mission work in Asia for a time, but Paul would eventually get back there during his third missionary journey. He spent a significant amount of time in Ephesus. If you’ve had a ministry detour, remember that God knows your heart and has a special ministry opportunity for you.
Mercer is a member of First Church, Jackson.
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