Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19980419.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part XXXVII: Correctly Discerning And Following God's TRUE Circumstantial Leading
(Acts 16:6-10)
  1. Introduction
    1. As a Church, we believe that one should not use experience as his base of defining reality or face being sadly deceived. We can back up this claim by the clear teaching of Deuteronomy 13:1-4.
    2. However, there are times when God leads us circumstantially, for Acts 16:6-10 displays circumstantial events in which Paul concluded that "the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them" .
    3. Accordingly, we examine the passage to see how to discern God's true circumstantial leading as follows:
  2. Correctly Discerning And Following God's TRUE Circumstantial Leading, Acts 16:6-10.
    1. God's true circumstantial leading came to those who were functioning in their God-given positions:
      1. The "they" in verse 6 refer to the missionary team of Paul, Silas and Timothy, Acts 15:40; 16:1-4.
        1. Paul and Silas were en route to visit the new missionary churches of Galatia and Phrygia, 15:36, 40.
        2. En route, they had picked up Timothy and prepared him for ministry with them, Acts 16:1-4.
      2. This team of men were all acting in the will of God:
        1. Paul had been sent out by the Holy Spirit's clear leading of the elders at Antioch of Syria, A. 13:1-3.
        2. In that endeavor, He had been led to minister with Barnabas in the cities of Galatia and Phrygia, namely in Antioch of Pisidia, in Iconium and at Lystra and Derbe, Acts 13:14; 14:1, 6 with Map #13.
        3. Having returned to Antioch, and having changed the team to be Paul and Silas, the Church elders and congregation again commended them to the grace of God, Acts 15:40.
        4. Thus, when Paul returned to Lystra where God had first led him, and he found and chose Timothy with his Apostolic authority to join his team, it was all in God's will, Acts 16:1-2 with 14:6.
    2. God's true circumstantial leading came to those who were busy functioning in their God-given tasks:
      1. Paul and Silas were visiting the works God had led to be established in the first effort, II,A,2,a-b above.
      2. This follow-up was in accord with Christ's Mtt. 28:19f order to do a follow-up with new converts!
    3. God's true circumstantial leading itself came in gradual STAGES:
      1. Acts 16:6 informs us that the missionary team was forbidden of God to preach the word in the province of Asia where Acts 16:7 tells us that the Holy Spirit would even let them enter Bithynia!
      2. Apparently, they could travel in Asia without preaching the Word, but they weren't even allowed to travel to Bithynia let alone preach there!
      3. This should have been a very clear signal that something unusual was up as to God's leading!
    4. God's true circumstantial leading itself grew out of complete conformity with past precedents:
      1. If we look at a map of the first missionary journey, we see that God put Paul and Barnabas into ministries that were mostly west by northwest of their home base in Antioch of Syria, cf. Map #13.
      2. Now, on this second missionary journey, as Paul, Silas and Timothy trekked on further west by northwest of these new mission churches into the province of Asia, God let them travel that direction, but without being allowed to speak the Word, Acts 16:6.
      3. When they got to Mysia beyond Asia and tried to go east by northeast, the Spirit blocked them, 16:7. God's circumstantial implication was that they were to keep with the usual west, northwest direction.
      4. Thus, they kept going until they ended up at Troas, as west, northwest as land would take them, 16:8.
      5. In this state, Paul got a vision about continuing in the usual direction to cross into Macedonia, v. 9.
      6. Reviewing the circumstantial information to date gave the men a clear conviction of God's direction, 10.
Lesson: When God leads us circumstantially, He does so (1) as we are operating in our Biblically correct ROLES and (2) DOING what He has ASSIGNED us to do. (3) The circumstantial leading ITSELF then comes in STAGES (4) consistent with PREC EDENTS of known, past directives of the Lord so that we can TEST these "circumstantial signals" with God's PRECEDENTS to determine the CLEAR present leading of God. (5) If parties "reading" circumstances are OUTSIDE of their proper roles or assignments, or the circumstances "read" are not GRADUAL or tied to clear PAST divine PRECEDENTS, those circumstances are suspect at best, and should not be followed!