This story raises
questions of guidance. How have you experienced God’s guidance during your life? Have
you ever have some insight or wisdom come to you through dreams? Could you make new
decisions based on your guidance? How else have you discerned guidance? ___voices of
friends? ___unexpected open doors? ___gut feelings? ___reading of scripture? ___through
"signs"?
As you listen prayerfully to the people, things and events in your life
right now, where can you hear God? What responses could you make? What response will you
make?
Ever had too many
options? Good. Use that to begin your homily! Tell a story on yourself about just such an
experience.
Shift to the text - Paul had too many options: Jesus: "Go into all
the world . . . " (Oh, that’s helpful! Where?) Describe the attempts that Paul
makes in the attempt to be at the right place for missionary endeavor.
Retell the story of Paul and the vision - the man in the dream pleading . . .
Who was that man? Play craddock-style with the inductive reasoning, well maybe it was .
. . but then again it could have been . . . You know what I think? I think the man in the
dream was the jailor in Philippi! Here’s why . . .
Encourage your listeners to be in ministry first and then seek guidance more specific
guidance. Who is the girl, boy, older adult that God wants to guide us to?
This passage holds before us primitive Christian
missiology. It might be useful and interesting to explore how our earliest Christian
forebears went about fulfilling the Great Commission as Luke records it in Acts 1:8-But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
