Page 24 - True Gospel Evangelism

direction of the gospel ministry

18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged
there. 19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men
seek thee. 20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing:
for I have sent them.” Cornelius had been instructed of the Spirit to send for Peter and

then Peter was instructed of the Spirit to go with the men to Cornelius. Moreover the
Spirit showed unto Peter that he had a people among the Gentiles and that he was to
preach unto them.

3. Acts 16:6 “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Gala-
tia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were
come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8
And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the

night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into
Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeav-
oured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to

preach the gospel unto them.” Here the Holy Ghost directed Paul and Barnabas as to
where they were not to preach at this time (Asia and Bithynia) and where he wanted
them to go preach (Macedonia).

4. Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the

which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he
hath purchased with his own blood.” In the instruction to the elders of the church at
Ephesus, Paul told them that it is the Holy Spirit that established their field of labor. It

was the Holy Spirit that made them overseers (pastors).

Based on the above examples, we learn that the Holy Spirit directs us as to where we
are to go and preach the gospel, to whom we are to preach the gospel, and to where our
field of labor is, and what we are to preach on any particular occasion. From this, we

learn that it is not up to the minister or up to a church to direct the ministry as to where
he is to go, to whom he is to preach, where he is to pastor, or what his message will be
each time he preaches. In all these things he has the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Church plans and planning boards to direct the spread of the gospel are foreign to the
scriptures and really are an affront to God because it says that we do not believe the
Lord is able to direct us or that he will not direct us or it says that we believe we know
better as to where we should go than the Lord does.