Suffering Is Not A Red Light
Over the last few weeks, we have studied the Holy Spirit's involvement in the early church. We have looked at several leaders in the 1st-century church and how the Holy Spirit guided them and empowered them to share the good news about Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. We witnessed how the first followers of Jesus saw a “green light” over the world. They obeyed the command of Jesus to make disciples of all the world by creatively and courageously starting conversations with anyone. These conversations didn’t stay local or within their familiar social groups but extended beyond the common and the comfortable. They felt called to go out to every nation and share the good news. Jesus had given them a green light to share with the world and he occasionally would send a “green turn arrow,” which would specifically guide them to a new place or opportunity. The followers of Jesus would not wait for these “green arrows,” but they would follow them. They understood that they had a responsibility to go and they were sensitive to supernatural guidance as well.
Red Lights in Pursuit of Sharing the Good News
Today, I want to explore the idea of the “red lights” that come up in our pursuit of sharing the good news of Jesus. When should we see a “red light?” When should we stop? When should we move away from a specific opportunity or leave a certain place? Does God ever give red lights to those who are seeking to fulfill his mission of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins? Yes, he does. And we will see that today in our passage. But, first, let me confess when I see a “red light.” I see red lights when conversations are awkward or hard. When a slight element of suffering or unpleasantness is involved, I tend to stop. I want my spiritual conversations with others to be easy and smooth. If I get a hint that the person I am talking with is even a slight bit uncomfortable, I pull back. Is that the right thing to do? Do you see a “red light” when a conversation about Jesus gets slightly tense? As we look at the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the ministry life of Paul, we will see that awkwardness, discomfort, and suffering are not signs of a “red light.”
Big Idea: Suffering is not a red light.
Jesus doesn’t want us to strive after suffering or pursue pain as a goal in itself. Suffering is not the goal and it’s not an obstacle. The goal is to reach the world with the good news of Christ. In pursuing that goal we may encounter suffering and pain. Encountering discomfort is not a sure sign of a “red light.” Let’s examine together when the apostle Paul experienced “red lights” in his missionary adventures.
Acts 16:6-10, “6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there,urging him and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us.”10 And whenPaul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Red Light, Red Light, Green Arrow
The sequence of this passage is “red light, red light, green arrow.” Paul gets two “no’s” and one direct “yes.” A vision from God led him to go west to Macedonia. He was prevented from going East twice. There are two important points to consider when trying to understand these “red lights.” First, these were not “no’s” as much as they were “not yet’s.” God was not telling Paul that he or someone else was forbidden from ever telling the people in these regions about the good news of Jesus. We know that Paul himself would do ministry in some of these places in the future. Ephesus was included in the region of “Asia,” as Paul would have used the term in the 1st-century world. Paul spent a great amount of time in Ephesus on one of his later missionary journeys. We have a letter that he wrote to the church there in the New Testament. The “light” over this region wouldn’t be red forever, just for now.
Where Did These Red Lights Come From?
The second thing we need to realize about these “red lights” is that they came from outside of Paul. They are not inward feelings. It wasn’t that Paul didn’t like these people or he was hesitant about their reception of his message. The direction that Paul received was external, not internal. We are not given the specific medium of these revelations, but we are told they came from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus. This was not the only time Paul received direct divine guidance. He received a vision later in this passage directing him to go to Macedonia.
In Acts 13, he was sent out from the church of Antioch by a “word” from the Holy Spirit. In Acts 18, the Lord spoke directly to Paul in a vision and ensured him of the protection he would provide for him as he preached in Corinth. In Acts 22, Paul recounted how the Lord spoke to him in a vision and told him to leave the city of Jerusalem. I am sure that Paul made many choices on his missionary journeys without direct divine guidance. His normal practice was certainly to use his wisdom to plan out his journeys. God interrupted Paul’s plans on occasion. Two of those interruptions happened in Acts 16:6-7. It would be improper to interpret these alterations to Paul’s plans as coming from within himself. Luke portrayed these as coming from a divine source. The medium of these words is most likely a prophet, which was the standard way in which God delivered his words to his people.
Our Feelings of Discomfort are Not the Same as Direct Divine Words of Guidance
It’s important that we understand the nature of these “red lights” that Paul experienced, because we don’t want to make an incorrect comparison to experiences we have and then draw false conclusions. For example, we should not compare our feelings of discomfort when having a conversation about Jesus with a friend as the Spirit of Jesus not “allowing” us to proceed or the Holy Spirit “forbidding” us to go on. Our feelings of discomfort are not the same as direct divine words of guidance.
Is Suffering a Red Light?
I don’t know if you will ever get one of these “red lights” like Paul did. I have never experienced the Holy Spirit forbidding me to share the gospel with someone. It is possible, but not probable. But, I do know when we are most likely to feel there is a red light and that is when we suffer. A supernatural revelation stopped Paul, but suffering didn’t. Paul knew there were red lights and that suffering was not one of them.
Paul’s Perspective on Suffering
Look at Paul’s perspective on suffering. Look at how he viewed the potential pain he would experience in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:20-24, “20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
The Holy Spirit revealed to Paul that he would face opposition and oppression in the city of Jerusalem. Notice how the Holy Spirit is described here as doing two things. He “constrains” and “testifies.” Paul spoke of the Spirit “constraining” him to go to Jerusalem. This means that Paul believed he was bound or obligated by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem. This direction was like a green turn arrow, it pointed him to a specific destination. The Spirit “testified” that Paul would suffer in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit didn’t divert Paul around suffering like our navigation apps divert us from traffic. The Spirit was not trying to give Paul the easiest and smoothest path. Paul understood this and submitted to the Spirit's direction. In the next chapter of Acts, we see Paul’s perspective on suffering play itself out.
Acts 21:10-14, “10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13T hen Paul answered, What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, Let the will of the Lord be done.”
Here we have another example of God’s supernatural intervention into Paul’s life. God delivered a message through his prophet Agabus to Paul and his friends. The message spoke of the suffering Paul would receive upon arriving in the city of Jerusalem. Notice how differently Paul reacted to this prophetic message than his friends. His friends interpreted this message of impending suffering as a red light. They wanted Paul to stop and turn away from Jerusalem. I think if we are honest this is how we would react to such a message. Paul, on the other hand, embraced this message. The revelation of coming pain didn’t prevent him from going but prepared him for what was ahead.
We need to keep in mind that Paul didn’t desire pain or have a death wish. We see this when he shared a prayer request with the Christians in Rome about his journey to Jerusalem.
Romans 15:30-33, “30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
Paul desired to be delivered from those who wished him harm so he could visit these Christians in Rome and minister to them. Paul wasn’t running toward pain, but he also wasn’t running from pain. His aim and mission was to spread the gospel and if suffering happened while doing that, he didn’t necessarily see it as a “red light” to stop.
Suffering Is Not a Red Light
Suffering is not a red light. We do see examples of severe suffering causing the followers of Jesus to scatter to different regions. This happened in Acts 8 due to the persecution of Saul. This week I heard of a missionary who decided to relocate because their safety was in jeopardy. Paul protected himself from an angry mob by appealing to Caesar. It is not ungodly or unwise to think about our safety, but it is unbiblical to see all suffering as a “red light” to ministry. There are severe circumstances when we need to pull the parachute and abort the mission because of safety. On the other hand, we need to press into the awkwardness, pain, and suffering that sharing Jesus will bring on. Persistence in pain should be our standard practice. Don’t let awkwardness and discomfort keep you from sharing Jesus.
Today, I want to give you a practical step to apply this message. I want to challenge you to push past the awkwardness and invite a friend to church. You will notice a card on your chair with an invitation to one of our Sunday services and our upcoming worship night in September. I want you to take just one of these cards and prayerfully consider who you can invite to church. It may be awkward. It may be painful. You may get rejected. That’s okay. That potential discomfort isn’t a “red light.” Your invitation is an opportunity for a life change to happen. The reward greatly outweighs the risk.
Maybe you are here today because a friend invited you and you are curious about their faith, this church, and what it means to follow Jesus. Thank you for being here with us. I want you to know that your soul is worth an awkward conversation. It’s awkward and uncomfortable to talk about religion in America. Your friend loves you so much that they are willing to push past the awkwardness to talk to you about something that is really important to them. You should feel loved by that. You may never believe what they believe, but your willingness to hear them share what is important to them shows the health of your friendship. Also, their willingness to share their heart with you shows you how much they care about you. We should all be searching for answers to life’s deepest questions and when we find those answers we should share them with those we love.
