The Spirit Calling His Own: Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE, 26 April 2026
Sermon Series: “The Acts of the Apostles” (#28)
Sermon Text: Acts 18:1-23
Main Points:
Introduction
I. The Spirit sovereignly directs the gospel to His appointed people
II. The Spirit effectually calls His people through the Word
II. The Spirit sustains and gathers His church for ongoing mission
Conclusion

Our reading brings us to Paul’s arrival in Corinth near the close of his second missionary journey. By this stage he has travelled through many cities, faced opposition, endured hardship, and seen the gospel spread across Macedonia and Achaia, following the region of Asia Minor. Now he comes to one of the great cities of the Roman world – a city known for wealth, influence, and especially, immorality.

Humanly speaking, Corinth was not an easy place for gospel ministry. Paul arrives weary, opposed, and in need of encouragement. Yet this is precisely where the Lord will display His power. He provides faithful companions, opens doors for the preaching of Christ, and gathers a people for His name.

In many ways, this is a typical snapshot of Paul’s ministry throughout the book of Acts – journeys taken, trials endured, Christ preached, and churches established. And because Paul stands so prominently in the narrative, it is easy for our eyes to fix on him. We admire his courage, endurance, and faithfulness, and rightly we thank God for such a servant.

But Paul is not the true hero of this account. The true worker is the Holy Spirit. Paul preaches, but the Spirit opens hearts. Paul labours, but the Spirit gathers the church. Paul is weak, but the Spirit sustains him.

And that is why this passage matters for us today. The same Spirit who strengthened Paul in Corinth has not ceased His work. Our hope does not rest in the strength of men, the gifts of preachers, or favourable circumstances. Our hope rests in the sovereign Spirit of God, who still calls Christ’s own people through the gospel, still builds His church, and still advances His mission in the world.

So, let us consider three truths from Acts 18:1-23, under this theme: The Spirit Calls His Own.

I. The Spirit Sovereignly Directs The Gospel To His Appointed People

At the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey, he and his companions travelled through the regions of Asia Minor with their own intentions about where to go next. But, the Spirit prevented them from taking that path. Then, Paul received the vision of a man from Macedonia, calling for help, and immediately the team crossed the sea into Europe.

This teaches us something vital: the mission of the church is not finally governed by human strategy; it is governed by divine wisdom. Paul had plans. Paul had judgment. Paul had zeal for the work. Yet, Christ, by His Spirit, redirected him. Why? Because the Lord had His own people to gather in Macedonia. The gospel did not arrive there by chance, but by appointment.

The same God still rules His church today. We often wonder why one door closes and another opens; why one opportunity disappears and another path unexpectedly appears; why our plans fail when our intentions seemed good. We may not understand at the time. But the book of Acts reminds us that the Spirit is never confused, never delayed, and never mistaken. He orders the steps of Christ’s people and governs the course of Christ’s church with perfect wisdom. He knows the best path for His people; the Spirit knows the best path for His church, and He leads us in the best way that glorifies God and best advances the gospel.

So, my friends, when life does not unfold according to your plans, do not conclude that God has ceased to work. Closed doors may be providence. Delays may be guidance. Unexpected turns may be mercy. The Spirit who led Paul still leads the church of Jesus Christ, and He can be trusted even when the road is unclear.

But, once the gospel reaches the appointed place, how does the Spirit gather His people? Not by force, not by spectacle, not by worldly power, but through the ordinary preaching of Christ. And that brings us to our next point.

II. The Spirit Effectually Calls His People Through The Word

As Paul enters city after city – Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and now Corinth – the same pattern appears. He preaches Christ, reasons from the Scriptures, calls people to repent and believe in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, the responses are divided: some mock, resist and remain hardened, while others receive the Word with joy and believe. Why the difference? Because conversion is not produced merely by hearing outward words. Hearing alone does not save. Conversion happens when the Holy Spirit inwardly opens the heart and effectually calls sinners to Christ.

And this is not a doctrine forced onto the book of Acts; rather, it is a truth the book of Acts repeatedly teaches. Think of Lydia in Philippi: the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. Think of the Bereans, who received the Word eagerly. Think of Crispus in Corinth, who believed in the Lord with his entire household. In each case, more was happening than human persuasion. The Spirit was powerfully at work through the preached Word.

Above all, consider the Lord’s word to Paul in Corinth: “I have many in this city who are My people.” What a statement, and what encouragement it must’ve been. Not ‘I may have many,’ nor ‘I hope some will respond.’ But “I have many in this city who are My people.”

Those words unveil a profound truth about the saving work of God. Before they believed, Christ knew them. Before they came, they belonged to Him in divine purpose. Before they confessed faith in Christ, He was determined to gather them. That is why Paul could continue preaching with confidence.

Now let us be careful here. This doctrine does not mean people are robots. It does not mean preaching is unnecessary. It does not mean human response is irrelevant. It means that, behind the human response, stands divine mercy. When a sinner truly repents, the Spirit has awakened the heart. When someone sees Christ as precious, the Spirit has opened blind eyes. When a hardened person turns and believes, grace has conquered resistance.

And this should comfort us today. You may say, ‘My faith feels weak.’ But the question is not whether your faith feels impressive. The question is: are you looking to Christ? Do you grieve your sin? Do you need mercy? Do you desire the Saviour?

If you feel weak because you cannot answer such questions with confidence, then, take heart. Such desires do not arise naturally in a fallen heart. They are signs of grace at work. Do not become preoccupied with whether you are chosen. Instead, look to your desire for Christ, whom the gospel freely proclaims. That very desire for Him is evidence of Christ’s work in you and of the Holy Spirit’s presence within you. For the Scripture says in 1 Cor. 12:3 that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.”

This truth should also humble us. If you are a Christian, why are you one? Not because you were wiser than others, not because you were morally superior, not because you were spiritually clever. You believed because God had mercy. Therefore, there is no room for pride – only gratitude!

Yet, the Spirit’s purpose is not completed when isolated individuals come to faith. Those whom He calls, He also joins together. He gathers believers into a people, strengthens them in fellowship, and establishes them as Christ’s church in the world. The same Spirit who opens hearts also forms a body, sustains its life, and sends it forward in mission. And that brings us to our final point:

III. The Spirit Sustains and Gathers His Church for Ongoing Mission

Throughout this missionary journey, those who believe do not remain isolated. Churches are formed, believers are strengthened, gospel co-workers are raised up, and the mission advances from place to place. In Corinth, believers are gathered into a congregation. Priscilla and Aquila serve faithfully. Timothy and Silas labour alongside Paul. Then, in due time, the work moves onward. Why? Because the Spirit does not merely save individuals and leave them scattered. He gathers a people to Himself. He brings sinners into union with Christ, and then into the fellowship of Christ’s body.

This is an important correction for our own age. Many people today want spirituality without church life, salvation without commitment, grace without belonging. But that is not the pattern of Acts. The Spirit calls people into worship, fellowship, prayer, discipline, service, and shared witness. Therefore, if Christ has called you, do not remain at the edges of His church, much less outside of it altogether. Belong deeply; worship faithfully; love the believing brothers and sisters sincerely; receive the means of grace gladly; serve with humility and joy. The Spirit who saves also gathers, and the Spirit who gathers also sustains.

Notice also that the mission continues even when Paul moves on. That is a vital lesson. Christ’s kingdom does not depend upon one man. Leaders come and go. Seasons change. Labourers rise and fall. But the Spirit remains faithful. The church does not stand because one minister is strong, one elder is influential, or one gifted person is present – no! The church stands because the risen Christ continues to pour out His Spirit and carry forward His mission through His church.

That truth should strengthen every congregation. Our hope and confidence must never rest in personalities, numbers, resources, or favourable circumstances. Our confidence rests in the Lord of the church, who never abandons His people and never ceases His work. What He begins, He sustains. What He gathers, He preserves. What He commissions, He advances.

Let me speak plainly to three groups today. To the weary believer: You feel small, inconsistent, weak. But take courage. The Shepherd knows His sheep. If you are clinging to Christ, however tremblingly, He is not losing you. The Spirit who called you is the Spirit who keeps you.

To the silent Christian: perhaps you have stopped speaking of Christ because you fear rejection or feel inadequate. But, remember Corinth – the Lord had many in that city before Paul knew a single one of them. You do not know whom God will call. So, speak again, invite again, pray again, bear witness again. The success of the gospel does not rest on your eloquence, but upon God’s power.

To the unbelieving hearer: Do not misuse this doctrine and say, ‘If God wants me, He can save me later.’ Scripture emphasises only one timing – today! If you hear His voice today, do not harden your heart. The Spirit ordinarily calls through the preached Word. Christ is offered to you now in the gospel. Therefore, respond now; repent, believe, and come to Him, now!

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, the second missionary journey is not chiefly the story of a travelling apostle. It is the story of a reigning Christ sending His Spirit to call His own. He directed the path; He opened hearts; He gathered churches; He sustained the mission. And He is still doing the same today!

Meanwhile, some of you wonder whether God could ever save you; some of you wonder whether God still uses you; some of you wonder whether the church can endure. The book of Acts answers all wondering hearts – the Spirit is still calling His own; He still strengthens His own; He expands His church towards the ends of the earth as He continues Christ’s mission.

In all these, He has not changed. So, trust Him in providence. Thank Him for grace. Serve Him in His church. Speak for Him in the world. Come to Him while His voice is heard. For the Spirit knows Christ’s people, calls Christ’s people, and continues Christ’s mission through His church. ***