The Macedonian Call

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. the chief...: Or, the first And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. - Acts 16:6-13

    After establishing the churches in Lystra and Derbe in the faith of the gospel, Paul and Silas went throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia preaching the grace of God in Christ. Paul wanted to carry the good news of redeeming, saving grace into Asia, but the Holy Spirit gave him no liberty to do so (16:6). So he travelled on to Mysia and tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of God closed the door again (16:7). Following the direction of God's providence and the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Paul and his companions 'came down to Troas' (16:8).

    In the evening, as Paul was seeking God's direction for his ministry, a vision was given to him. By the special, supernatural revelation of God the Holy Spirit, he saw a man from Macedonia standing before him who said, 'Come over into Macedonia, and help us' (16:9).

    Paul took this to be a call from God (16:10). He had earnestly sought the will of God, and now he knew it. God had called him to preach the gospel to the perishing men and women of Macedonia. Immediately he went to Philippi, the first city he could get to in Macedonia (16:11-12). There he went to the place in that city where he was most likely to get a hearing and preached the gospel to a gathering of a few women (16:13). Paul did not stop to do deputation work to raise money. He did not seek the approval or permission of a mission board. He knew that God had called him and he trusted God both to provide for him and to make his labour effectual. It was his responsibility to preach the gospel to the perishing sinners of Macedonia. That was the one thing he knew he must do. He had to be obedient to the call of God (1 Cor. 9:16).

    Here is the Macedonian call: 'Come over and help us.' It is a call that has application to the church of God today. There is much for us to learn from this call and Paul's response to it about the evangelistic, missionary responsibilities of the church.

    I . Men and women who do not know the gospel of Christ are lost, perishing in ignorance, under the wrath of God

    The lost condition of perishing sinners is, to the people of God, a cry for help. This man of Macedonia represented a people who had everything imaginable in a natural sense. He represented a country and empire of incomparable greatness. Macedonia was the land of Philip, King of Macedonia and his son, Alexander the Great. This man represented the Greek world, the world of refinement, learning, wealth and culture. The Greeks were also a very religious people. No one could question their devotion, fervency and sincerity as religious people. They gave a great portion of their time, work and money to religious work and worship. They built the famous Parthenon in Athens and the great temple at Ephesus. In Athens alone the Greeks had 30,000 gods! When Paul saw their worship and devotion, he said, 'I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious [religious]' (17:22). The Greeks had every advantage socially and economically. Yet, like the rich young ruler, they lacked one thing. They had no knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were ignorant of soul-saving gospel truth. The lost condition of the refined Greeks demonstrates one fact with clarity: all who are ignorant of the gospel of Christ are lost, perishing in their sins under the wrath of God! The ignorant barbarian is lost (Rom. 1:18-21). Our religious and irreligious relatives, neighbours and friends who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ are lost (Rom. 10:1-17). Their lost condition is a cry for help. It is our responsibility to preach the gospel to them.

    2. The greatest blessing God can ever bestow upon any people is to send them a faithful gospel preacher (Isa. 52:7)

    The Holy Spirit would not let Paul go to Asia or Bithynia. But he sent him to Macedonia. What a blessing! There were some chosen sinners in Macedonia whom Christ had redeemed. The time had come when they must be called to life and faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel. 'Ministers,' wrote John Trapp, 'are those by whom God helpeth his perishing people, and putteth them out of the devil's danger. Hence they are called saviours (Obad. 21; 1 Tim. 4:16), redeemers (Job 33:24,28), co-workers with Christ (2 Cor. 6:1).'

    God saves his elect through the instrumentality of gospel preaching. He who ordained the salvation of chosen sinners also ordained the means whereby it must be accomplished (Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; James 1:18; 1Peter 1:23-25). Wherever an elect sinner is found, at the time appointed, a gospel preacher will be sent. One sign of God's anger, wrath and displeasure upon reprobate men is that he sends them no gospel preachers, or that he withdraws from them the ministry of a faithful man (Hosea 4: 17).

    3. It is the responsibility of believers, individually and collectively as local churches, to preach the gospel of Christ to sinners bound for eternity (Mark 16:15-16)

    Every gospel preacher is responsible to keep the charge of God upon him (l Tim. 4:12-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5). Every local church must devote itself to the furtherance of the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20). And every believer must assume his responsibility to make the gospel of Christ known in his own generation. God has given you the light that you may show others the way. He has given you the message of his free and sovereign grace in Christ. It is your responsibility to make it known in the generation in which you live. You cannot make anyone believe the gospel. That is not your responsibility. But you can see that they hear it. And that is your responsibility (Acts 1:8).

    4. As you endeavour to make the gospel known, seek and submit to the direction of God the Holy Spirit (16:6-10)

    If you truly seek the will of God and wait upon the Lord that you may know how to serve him, he will show you his will (Prov. 3:5-6). By the direction of his Word, the impulses of his Spirit, and the indications of his providence, God will make his will known to all who seek it. When God reveals his will to you, you will know it. And when you know you are doing the will of God you can do it with boldness, without fear of failure. If God is in the initiation of a thing, he will be in the execution of it, and he will see it through to its appointed end. Whether God shuts a door or opens a door, we must readily follow his direction.

    5. God will both direct and honour the efforts of his people for the furtherance of the gospel

    God always honours those who honour him (1 Sam 2:30). You do not labour in vain, if you seek to serve Christ (1Cor. 15:58). When Paul went to Macedonia he was thrown in jail, but God honoured his faithful service in the saving of two precious souls-Lydia and the Philippian jailor. His ministry there was a great success! He did exactly what God sent him there to do.

    Be faithful to the work God has entrusted to your hands, whatever it is. You will not fail. God is with you. His Word, which he sends out through you, will not return unto him void (Isa. 55:11).