As we read through Acts we see the Spirit prompting the church over and over again to fulfill Jesus’ command to take the good news of his resurrection to all the peoples of the world.
At every major expansion of the mission the Spirit directly intervenes and leads the apostles and disciples to engage with and win over new and ethnically different people.
The Spirit led Philip to his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40).
The Spirit gave both Cornelius and Peter visions that lead to the discovery of faith among the Gentiles (Acts 10).
The Spirit tells the church in Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work they will do on the first missionary journey (Acts 13-14).
In chapter 16, the Spirit prevents Paul and Timothy from spreading the word in Asia (modern-day Turkey) before sending them to Macedonia through a vision of a man begging, “Come over here and help us.”
Surely Paul and Timothy were frustrated at the roadblocks preventing them from pursuing their plan of spreading the word through Asia. But the essence of discipleship is learning to hearken for God’s voice and responding in faith when God calls.
Paul and his companions set an example for all disciples to follow in setting aside their own plans and goals for God’s.
