The Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda spent thirty years in a Philippine jungle because no one he was willing to believe ever reached him with the news that the war had long been over. That story opens the final reflection on the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16), in which Paul ends up going where he never planned: closed doors, a vision at night, a conversation with women by a river, and then flogging and prison. The sermon traces four very different ways the Holy Spirit leads those who carry the good news, not always easy and not always pleasant. Listen before you decide that your own plans have simply been thwarted.
The Spirit Leads
To the Ends of the Earth
Jesus entrusted us with the task of spreading the Good News of salvation to the ends of the earth. However, we are not the first to carry out this mission. Therefore, as we seek inspiration for action, we want to learn from those who were there at the very beginning-by turning to the Book of Acts.
As we read it, we discover that despite numerous adversities, the Gospel proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit is unstoppable. It breaks through one barrier after another and transforms people’s lives-often those of the least expected.
The Acts of the Apostles is a book in which a great deal truly happens. It’s worth reading so that something might happen in your life as well-and in the lives of the people God places in your path.
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11 sermons
