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 a people for ongoing mission
Conclusion
Our reading this morning brings us to the conclusion of Paul’s second missionary journey which began at the end of ch. 15. Paul and Silas set out under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Soon, Timothy joined them, and together they strengthened the churches as they travelled through the inland regions of Asia Minor before crossing into Macedonia.
There, the gospel took root in places such as Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. From Macedonia, the mission continued south into Achaia, where Paul ministered in Athens, proclaiming Christ risen from the dead among the philosophers of the city.
In ch. 18, he arrives in Corinth, where the Lord strengthens him, and Silas and Timothy rejoin him. A significant church is established there during a sustained period of ministry. From Corinth, Paul eventually returns toward his sending church in Syrian Antioch, passing through Ephesus, Caesarea, Jerusalem before completing the journey.
What we see is not simply a record of travel, but a Spirit-directed movement of the gospel across regions and cultures – marked by opposition and encouragement, weakness and strength, fear and joy – yet, consistently governed by the Lord who calls His own.
Brothers and sisters, when we read this, it is easy to focus on the great missionary Paul the Apostle. We admire his courage, his travel, his endurance, his preaching. And certainly, we thank God for such a servant.
But if we stop there, we miss the deeper reality. The true missionary in Acts is not Paul; the true missionary is the Holy Spirit. Paul travelled, but the Spirit sent and guided. Paul preached, but the Spirit opened hearts. Paul suffered, but the Spirit sustained him. Paul moved from city to city, but the Spirit was gathering Christ’s people and building His church.
That is what we see in this second missionary journey. Behind every sermon preached, every convert saved, every church planted, every opposition faced – there is the sovereign and gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit calling His own from sin into salvation.
And this matters today, because the same Spirit is still at work. So, let us consider three truths from this journey.
I. The Spirit Sovereignly Directs The Gospel To His Appointed People
At the beginning of this journey, Paul intended to go one way, but the Spirit prevented him. Then came the vision of the Macedonian man calling for help. This teaches us something crucial: the mission of the church is not governed merely by human strategy; it is governed by divine wisdom. Paul had plans. Paul had intelligence. Paul had zeal. Yet the Spirit redirected him. Why? Because there were people in Macedonia whom Christ intended to gather. So, the gospel did not arrive there by accident; it arrived there by appointment.
And the same is true in our lives now. Sometimes we wonder why God closes one door and opens another. Why one opportunity ends and another begins. Why one plan fails and another path emerges unexpectedly. Often, we do not know at the time. But Acts teaches us this: the Spirit knows the best path for His people, and He leads us in the best way that glorifies God and best advances the gospel.
So, my friends, when life does not go according to your plans, do not assume God has stopped working. Your disappointments may actually be divine redirections. Some closed doors are not punishments; they are providence. Some delays are not neglect; they are guidance. The Spirit who guided Paul still governs the steps of Christ’s church. So, trust Him when you do not understand the route.
But how does the Spirit gather His people once the gospel arrives? Not by force, not by spectacle, but through the ordinary preaching of Christ.
II. The Spirit Effectually Calls His People Through The Word
As Paul enters city after city – Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth – the same pattern repeats. He preaches Christ, reasons from Scripture, calls people to repent and believe in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Then, people respond in different ways: some mock, resist and refuse, while others receive the Word with joy and believe. Why the difference? Because conversion is not produced merely by hearing words; hearing words alone does not save. Conversion happens when the Holy Spirit opens the heart.
Think of Lydia in Philippi. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said. Think of the Bereans and of Crispus in Corinth – they too were brought to the same faith in Christ. Above all, think especially of God’s word to Paul in Corinth: “I have many in this city who are My people.” What a statement; what encouragement that must’ve been. Not ‘I might have many,’ nor ‘I hope some respond.’ But “I have many.”
Before they believed, Christ knew them. Before they came, they belonged to Him in divine purpose. Before they confessed Him, He would surely gather them. This is why Paul could continue preaching.
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 is 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 sin’s resistance.
And this should comfort us all 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 don’t find confident answers in your heart to questions like those, 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 – the One whom the gospel proclaims. That very desire is evidence of Christ’s work in you and the Holy Spirit’s presence in you. After all, the Scripture clearly declares in 1 Cor. 12:3 that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.”
This 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. So, there is no room for pride. Only gratitude.
But the Spirit’s work does not stop when individuals believe. He gathers those He calls into a church, and that is our next point to consider.
III. The Spirit Sustains And Gathers His Church For Ongoing Mission
Throughout this missionary journey, converts do not remain isolated. Churches are formed, believers are strengthened, gospel co-workers are raised up, and the mission continues. In Corinth, believers gather. Priscilla and Aquila serve faithfully. Timothy and Silas labour alongside Paul. Then, the work moves onward. Why? Because the Spirit does not merely save individuals and leave them scattered. He gathers a people. He brings sinners into Christ, and then into the fellowship of Christ’s body.
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, discipline, prayer, service, and shared witness. So, if Christ has called you, do not live on the edges of His church, much less alone outside of it. Belong deeply, worship faithfully, love the believing brothers and sisters, receive the means of grace, serve with gladness. The Spirit who saves also gathers, and He sustains.
Notice that the mission continues even when Paul moves on. Why? Because Christ’s kingdom does not depend on one man. Leaders come and go. Seasons change. But the Spirit remains faithful. That should strengthen every congregation. Your hope is not in one minister. Not in one family. Not in one gifted person. Your hope is in the living Christ who pours out His Spirit upon and carries out His mission through His church.
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 calls and keeps His own.
To the silent Christian: You have stopped speaking of Christ because you fear rejection. But, remember Corinth – God had many in that city. You do not know whom He will call. So, speak again, invite again, pray again, witness again. Success does not rest on your eloquence, but on God’s power.
To the unbelieving hearer: Do not misuse this doctrine and say, ‘If God wants me, He can save me later.’ Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. The Spirit ordinarily calls through the preached Word. When Christ is offered in the gospel, the right response is now. Repent. Believe, and come to Him.
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 so 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.
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 people. ***
St Columba's Presbyterian Church 