The first observation that we would bring to your notice from these words in the incident is that the servants of God and the messengers of the Gospel of Christ are led and directed by the Holy Spirit. You have read how Paul and Silas, having now with them Timotheus, and also having in their company the one who wrote this book, Luke, intended to go and visit the various churches as he tells us in the previous chapter, “Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord, and see how they do.” We find that they accomplished this mission, and when they finished it and established the churches in the faith, and had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, we find they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to go to preach the Word in Asia, thus showing us that the servants of God, the messengers of the Gospel, are not free persons but are altogether under the command and power of their Master and their Lord. It did not lie even with the Apostle, and how much less with those who profess to be called to the ministry of the Gospel, to choose the sphere where they will labour in the world. Then the Apostle assayed or tried to go into Bithynia for the same purpose, no doubt, even to bring the news of salvation to the people in that region. Again we read that the Holy Spirit suffered them not. Possibly there is a meaning in the distinction of these two — the forbidding on the one hand and not being suffered on the other, but sufficient for our present purpose is this brought before us throughout, that the servants of the Lord are under the direct government of the Lord Jesus Christ who is now in heaven. This is something we would do well to lay to heart, that it is not of man, and not even of the will of the preacher of the Gospel, to say where he shall labour, to say what field he is going into, but he must wait, as we see here, the guidance and direction of God the Holy Spirit by the Lord Jesus. He has ascended to God’s right hand and is at God’s right hand now and for evermore. He is still directing and He is still governing; He is the governor of the nations; He is the head of His body the Church, and He is still governing the church of God in this world. In that connection He is still leading His servants and directing them as to the place where He will have them deliver the message which He will give them to deliver.
Now, more positively then, that brings us to notice the Holy Spirit’s intention. The Holy Spirit told them to go to this place, Macedonia. It is abundantly plain that the direction which Paul and his associates received to go to Macedonia was a message from heaven, a message from the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you are to enquire — ‘how did the Holy Spirit and how does the Holy Spirit lead and guide the ministers of the Gospel?’ The answer before you here is, that while they were in Troas a vision appeared to Paul in the night. Here you have the fact of a vision appearing to Paul and by that, vision is not meant a dream, although it says it was a vision by night. Paul was not asleep and a-dreaming when he received this direction from the Lord, but he is presented to you here as a man greatly exercised, deeply concerned with what path the Lord would have him to take, so that even in the night when he would expect him to be resting and enjoying the peace and the rest of body which, no doubt, he greatly needed, we find him crying to the Lord of heaven, his beloved Master, and asking the Lord to send him direction and guidance because he had just been directed by the Lord through the Holy Spirit not to go to one place, not to go to Asia and, therefore, he is undoubtedly in some distress as to where the Lord would have him go. The Lord appears, then, in the night in a vision and we are not given the details of this vision or how it operates, but we are informed that he saw a man from Macedonia. You may say, ‘how did the Apostle know that the man was from Macedonia?’ Macedonia, as you probably know, is the northern division of Greece, in Europe, and up to this time the Apostle had not preached on the continent of Europe. He had not travelled to that part, but we may assume that he had recognised and seen people from Greece and that he would know a Macedonian. Whatever the answer be, the fact is that the Lord made known to the Apostle by clear means that this was a man belonging to Macedonia, to Greece.
Now, if you ask, ‘how does the Lord direct His servants today?’ ‘Do they wait for visions?’ ‘Does the Lord appear in the watches of the night to His servants, the ministers of the Gospel, and does He direct them by some such thing as this — where they are to go and where they are to preach the Word of God?’ The answer is that the Lord in heaven is still concerned with His Church on earth. The Lord Jesus Christ has not grown weary of watching the movements and directing the movements of His Church in this world and the Lord still has a way whereby He leads His servants, the messengers of the Gospel, as clearly as in the Apostle’s day. The Lord does not leave His ministers and messengers in the dark as to where they have to go and what they have to do. If you inquire as to the means whereby the Lord reveals to a servant of His where he is to labour, then the means are (1) the Spirit of God working in that person leading that person to wherever the Lord is going to lead him to labour, and (2) the Lord is still speaking through His Word. The Lord is still speaking through this Book, the Word of God. He uses it to direct the minister of Christ where he shall go with His message and surely we have much food for thought in that very consideration. You probably read a sermon on this passage some time ago in the Magazine from Dr Owen, and his main point in this passage was the great and wonderful grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in sending the Gospel and sending the Ministry of the Gospel to one place and denying it to another. The Holy Ghost, he points out, forbidding them to preach the Word in Asia suffered them not to go to Bithynia and now sending them to Macedonia to preach the Word of God in Macedonia. Many thoughts might follow upon your reflection on this fact.
That, then, is the first observation we would leave with you — that the ministers of Christ in our day and in every day are not moving hither and thither at the will and caprice of men. It is by the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit in their soul that they believe and are persuaded of their duty when they move from one place to another place to preach the Word. Paul did not dare go into Asia when he felt the Holy Spirit did not want him to go, nor did he go to Bithynia, but, on the other hand, he dare not keep away from Macedonia when he is persuaded that the Lord has spoken to him, and that the Lord has directed him to go to Macedonia. It is no idle matter for a minister of the Gospel to be persuaded that he is where the Lord has put him, and surely among other things this is great strength and great encouragement whatever else will lie before him when he comes to Macedonia. Men and women can do as they please, and devils in hell can rage, but the Lord has put me to Macedonia and when a true servant of the Lord fixes upon a place where he is going to labour, it is the same persuasion that is needed in his mind, the same persuasion must occupy his heart that it is of the Lord that he is going there and that balances all objections. No one can answer the question, ‘Why Paul are you not going to Asia, why are you not going to Bithynia, why are you going across the sea to Macedonia?’ It may look very unreasonable, it may look very questionable in the eyes of men and women who know nothing and understand nothing of the working of the Holy Spirit, but it is according to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and for ever.
Now, we pass on to notice secondly from the point of view of Macedonia that it was a call — “come over and help us.” This brings before us the reason why Macedonia should be calling to Paul. It is plain that they were in need and that there was a need felt in Macedonia. Even if we suppose the need was not felt, even if you ask me how can I prove that the Macedonians felt the need of the Apostle and of the ministry of the truth and we say we cannot prove that they felt their need; the point is this, the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is on High well knew the need of the people in Macedonia. The Lord will not send His servants where there is no need for them. That follows from being sent to a place by the Lord, you may know that there is need for you. Whether the Macedonians felt that need or not, we may leave as an open question, but the truth is there was a need in Macedonia for the Gospel; and alas, alas, how very few in this day and generation have the least understanding of their need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You may say — ‘surely we know our need of a minister’ — but I call you to examine what you mean when you say that you need the ministry of the Word of God. What is in your mind? What view do you have of your own need of a minister or the ministry of God’s Word? Few, we say, very few at all are sensible of their need of the ministry of the Gospel, because by reason of sin we do not and we cannot know nor feel our need of the Gospel. It is impossible for man in his natural condition to know and feel his great need as a sinner going to an endless eternity. I put it to your own conscience — Can you appeal to the omniscient God, can you appeal to the Lord Jesus Christ and can you say, I feel, I know, I experience a need in my soul, a need which nothing but the Gospel, nothing but the ministry of Christ can fulfil? Can you say — I, by the power, by the teaching, by the preaching, by the light and understanding of God the Holy Spirit have felt my need? The Word of God sets forth your spiritual needs in the most awful and solemn terms. We may use that expression — it is the one thing that is needful. The needs of your soul, what are they? You need pardon, you need peace with God, you need salvation, you need deliverance from hell, and from the wrath to come. You need deliverance from the burning lake of brimstone and where are you to get that need supplied. Are you not in need of a Gospel ministry? That is only one view of the needs which sinners have of a Gospel ministry. You need to be saved. It matters not what else you have; you need to be saved ere you leave this world or you will perish in hell for ever and ever.
In calling Paul to Macedonia there was this need surely in Macedonia. Souls were perishing there. There was a need in Macedonia for the Word of God and for the Worship of God but, furthermore, it is not only that. What I mean is, that many people think that the reason for a Gospel ministry is the conversion of sinners. That is one need, and an extraordinary need it is, that sinners would be converted, that is, turned spiritually and born again, by the power of the Holy Ghost, “For except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Not only does the Lord Jesus set up His ministry in this world for the conversion of His people, but also those who are converted need the ministry of the Word of God. Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Feed my sheep,” “feed my lambs,” “feed my sheep,” so that each man may be presented at last perfect before the presence of the Lord. It is no small thing and no small matter to present men perfect. The late Rev. J. P. MacQueen, London, often came out with the expression regarding some Christians who were converted but who never grew; he compared them to and used to term them ‘spiritual dwarfs’. O what a generation of spiritual dwarfs we are, and why? Because we do not feel the need for the ministry of God’s Word. Suppose we are converted and we have a hope that we shall be saved for eternity, we still need the Word of God and the preaching of the everlasting Gospel. It is to meet the many needs, the many trials, temptations and difficulties in the Christian life that the Lord has set up on earth the preaching of the Word. Therefore, is it not plain that you need the Word of God? You need the ministry of the Gospel and, therefore, this cry “come over and help us” is a cry professing this — “we need you.” When you call a minister, when you ask a minister to come to you, you are making this profession that you need the ministry of the Word of God. This is your profession that you are not merely calling on Paul to visit Macedonia, not merely asking him to come and see the city and see this wonderful place, Europe, and to see the glories of Greece (and it had plenty of glories), but that you are asking him on one score alone and that is this, “we are needing your ministry Paul.” Let this be the motive urging you to get a minister settled over you in the Gospel. “What shall it profit a man though he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
That brings us to consider how Paul interpreted this cry, “Come over and help us.” Paul knew and Paul believed that he could help the people of Macedonia. The Gospel is a message which brings help with it. It is a message of help to helpless needy sinners and Paul was persuaded that if he did go to Macedonia, he would be a help to the people of Macedonia and that he would be able in some measure to answer their needs, to respond to their cry which was “come over and help us.” Paul, we see, knew that he would be able and that he was going there to be a help — certainly not in his own strength. He did not go to Macedonia feeling that he himself, because of who he was, could help the Macedonians, but he felt persuaded and assured of this that if the Lord was sending him to Macedonia the Lord would enable him to answer the need of the Macedonians. Paul by the grace of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit was, as we see from the subsequent events, enabled to be a helper to the people, at least to some of them in this colony, in this place called Philippi, the chief city of Macedonia and elsewhere throughout that region. He was a helper to them, a helper to their souls so that we find in this very chapter the greatest example you have possible in the Word of God revealing plainly the need of a sinner in the case of the jailer at Philippi. There you have that memorable cry, that soul-wrenching cry, “What must I do to be saved?” Can the Apostle give any assistance to such a one as this? The Greeks with all their wisdom, with all their learning, with all their culture, with all their arts and with their science, what could they do for this man in answer to his cry, “What must I do to be saved?” Might he not say with the Psalmist:
“I looked on my right hand and viewed,
But none to know me were,
All refuge failed me, no man
Did for my soul take care.”
And, remember, the world with all its glory, with all its splendour, with all its beauty, with all its learning, education and erudition of the day cannot help a sinner who has this cry, “What must I do to be saved?” But blessed be the Lord, the Apostle could help him. That is the help that is to be found in Christ, the help that is in the Saviour of sinners, and the help which the Gospel ministry brings into your midst, and would that you would understand it and appreciate it. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.” If you were to feel that help, can you imagine, can you conceive anything so wonderful as this? You may point to help you have received, and you may be looking to a minister to help you here and there in your families, in your homes, to help to bury the dead, baptize children and so forth, but this is where the help of Paul was and this is where the help of the ministry of the Gospel is. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Can you imagine what comfort and what an answer to his needs this man received from the Word of God by the Apostle in that hour of the night, and what help he was by the grace of God enabled to give to this poor, perishing sinner? It is help for eternity, help for your immortal souls, help that will stand you through death, through the grave and to an endless world. It will stand you when you come to the judgment seat of Christ. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Here is the help of the Gospel ministry, and if you can point to the ministry of the Church of God, of the Word of God, and say in truth that you have been helped, then, where that is true, where that is sincere, where that is according to the Word of Truth, then your help will be a help unto eternity. “Come over and help us.” Help us by giving us a view of the Saviour. I heard of a preacher in Oban, a godly man, who was dying. His last words to some who saw him were these, “Keep a crucified Christ before perishing men.” That, friend, is the help which the ministry of the Gospel shall give to you and may you not rest satisfied till each one of you, young and old, on your way to an endless eternity can say that you have received this help; and what will it do for you otherwise? Paul came to Macedonia at the bidding of the Spirit of the Lord. He came to Macedonia because he knew the need and was persuaded of the needs of that place and of that people. He came to Macedonia because he believed he would be able to help the Macedonians. He could answer their cry, “come over and help us.” How did he answer it? He tells us, “immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.” This is the Gospel that is preached in this place, that will be preached from Sabbath to Sabbath, from week to week. There is help for the lost, for the condemned, for you on your way to a never-ending eternity. May you never rest until you can say you have received that help. “What must I do to be saved?” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved; to all eternity with Christ in heaven. When you get to heaven, you will see there the Lord in all His glory who by the Holy Spirit gave this vision to Paul in Troas to come to Macedonia and who had this in view in sending him to Troas that he would go over and help helpless, perishing sinners.
May the Lord bless His Truth.