God has His way of moving people: the right people into the right place at the right time. Only He knows the end from the beginning; so He is the only One who can position His servants strategically – to proclaim the gospel and build up the church to serve Him. Paul had been away from Antioch in Syria (the mission base for the church) for about three years, on his second missionary journey, through what is now Turkey and Greece. During his time in Corinth he lived and worked with fellow tent-makers, Priscilla and Aquila (from Italy and the south Black Sea coast – Acts 18:1-3). He took them with him, leaving them at Ephesus to prepare for his future mission there (Acts 18:19-21).

So, after debriefing the Antioch church and encouraging them about what the Lord was doing through the gospel, Paul knew he had to go back to the mission field. This third journey followed the same route overland as he did on his second journey, through what is now central/southern Turkey. He visited the churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch in Pisidia, teaching and encouraging the believers to remain true to Jesus. His next mission destination was the key sea port of Ephesus on the Aegean coast (click here for map); the end of the Silk Road trading route from China and India.

However, the Lord had already moved Apollos (a Greek speaking devout Jew) from Alexandria in Egypt to Ephesus. He was unashamed of Jesus and started to proclaim Him as the Messiah in the synagogue. His teaching intrigued the worshippers there; and it seems that some believed because Apollos asked them to be baptised as John the Baptist had done. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home so that they could teach him what Paul had taught them. And so a little embryo church was forming; Priscilla and Aquila were growing in their ability to minister the gospel and Apollos was equipped to minister more effectively in the next place where the Lord would lead him.

God is still moving His people into the places where they can learn from Him, train to serve Him, be launched into mission and then help others who are also learning how to minister in the Name of Jesus. You are one of them. You are not in the place where you live and work by accident; the Lord put you there. When He wants to use you in some different place or another way, He will first move in your heart so that you want to be a part of His gospel mission to the world. You will never feel adequate or fully trained: Christ is your adequacy and most of the important training is on the job. Just be willing to be used, to be moved, to learn and train and serve, and become someone who is able to help others to move further on in God's purposes too.