Our Journey to find a building of our own reminds me of the story of Paul and Silas in Acts chapter 16. The two men set a course in one direction only to have God intervene and change their direction on several occasions. Once the men were heading the right direction, Paul received what we refer to as the Macedonian call. They promptly headed for that region, ultimately landing in Philippi where they experienced some divine appointments. This story brings up some important questions for our lives. First, do we have a plan? Second, and just as important, is our plan flexible enough to allow God to participate and make changes as he sees fit? Finally, when he speaks, how long do we wait before responding in obedience?
Divine Intention
While it is not evident where Paul’s ideas to travel to Asia and Bithynia came from (Acts 16:6-7), we do at least get an understanding that he had a plan where he intended to travel and preach. Since the gospel is needed everywhere and God had not given specific directions, it was a great start. The motivation to go to these particular places is not revealed, but there is no mistaking that Paul’s plan was to bring the gospel to those regions.
Our plan to plant a church in Columbus, Ohio, began as we were sent out from First Baptist Church of New Philadelphia, Ohio, in December of 2020. When we arrived, we found a temporary location to rent but knew eventually we would need a place of our own. We did not have a large budget so that meant we were going to need to find somewhere to lease. At the time, we had about 50 people attending. The plan was to find something big enough to grow into and small enough that we could afford. Initially, we didn’t know how large of a space we needed and everything we could afford was already too small. An additional challenge we incurred was that the people coming to the church lived anywhere from 5 to 50 minutes away and selecting a location was sure to result in several feeling left out. We eventually settled on a plan for size, budget, and potential locations within a specified mile-radius, and then began searching. Every bit of our plan was for the good of the folks attending and the glory of God. Every bit of our plan was also just the best we could come up with.
Divine Intervention
In verse 6 of Acts 16, Paul and Silas moved to preach in Asia, and the Holy Ghost said, “no.” They turned North and received the same result. It’s in these two encounters that we witness a part of Paul’s plan that we must strive to include in ours. He had his ideas of where to go, but he was submitted to God intervening at any time. Looking at Paul’s life and ministry, this seems to be his pattern. Move forward with purpose and fervor, but allow God to step in whenever he wants and “mess up” his plan. It was this approach that positioned him to receive the information he needed for the next leg of his journey.
Our plan to find the right place for the right price hit many dead-ends. Over the course of two and a half years, we set up a building search committee and attempted on four different occasions to enter contracts for lease agreements at four different locations. Those consisted of medical offices, former preschools, and even a corporate headquarters for a restaurant chain. One place had structural issues, and we backed out before negotiations began. The others ended with the representative for the site becoming impossible to reach. Each time we thought we had a sure thing, and each time the talks went silent. When we finally heard from them again, we learned they had decided to go another direction. A year and a half ago, we were certain we found the place for us. It was a church sitting on eight acres, in the neighborhood where our kids attended school, and close enough to feel like a happy compromise even for those traveling further. It checked all the boxes. It was large enough to grow, but not so large we couldn’t afford it or manage it. The most exciting aspect was that we had saved enough money to be in a position to buy. It was perfect! We made an offer, and everything was pointing to God agreeing with our plan. We even had heard that we were the main offer that was being considered. Then, it happened again. The sellers requested some time to pray and consider this transaction. Thirty silent and anxious days later, they resurfaced with a signed agreement to sell to another church. We were crushed. We had a plan but God said, “no.”
Divine Appointments
It is possible there was some discouragement in the hearts of Silas and Paul. God didn’t provide clear instruction on where else to go. He just said no, then no again. They didn’t quit; they pressed on, eventually hearing from the Lord. The lesson of an enduring faith should not be overlooked here, but the real takeaway is their response when God did interject. It was no longer just the next best idea they came up with. God’s input had become Paul’s new plan. The vision came, and the men moved the very next day on a straight course to Macedonia. The lesson: have a plan, but be ready for God to change it. When God clarifies something, make the proper adjustments and move forward in obedience. Once they moved, God showed up with confirmation through several individuals coming to saving faith in Christ. Some were simple, others were amid great tribulation. All confirmed that God had taken them to the place and the people that were ready for the gospel.
As I’m writing this, we are nearing the end of some extensive renovations on a building we purchased in January. God said no to Dublin, Columbus, Westerville, and Dublin again, then finally directed us to Powell, a small suburb located just north of Columbus. The church is a little smaller than we thought we needed, further north than we were searching, and needed more work than we wanted to take on, but we’re now strategically positioned in the middle of the suburbs on the north side of Columbus. If God hadn’t stopped us or we hadn’t listened, we would not have been positioned to find or afford this opportunity. Along the way, God has confirmed his involvement as he has adjusted our well-intended plans. We are now moving forward with expectation in God’s confirmation through divine opportunities to win the lost and make disciples of Christ at Northside.
Paul’s story applies to a multitude of life’s circumstances and it follows the principle laid out for us in Proverbs. “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” - Proverbs 16:9. The ultimate goal is to join God where he is working. We should know the word well enough to devise a biblical plan and set out to accomplish that plan with intention and zeal. We also need to allow God to make the changes he deems necessary. Once he steps in and provides clarity, we need to move forward in faith, watching for him to confirm his perfect plan and timing.
Matt Braucher is the head pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Powell, Ohio.
