Sunday Morning Service

Acts 15:36-Acts 16:15 (Click title for audio access)

"A Brother, A Son And A Sister!"  •  10.16.11  •  Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship

Intro.

- As we come to the beginning of Paul's second missionary journey, we will be reminded about preaching the gospel, establishing churches, making disciples and the courage needed to do all of it.

- The romantic part of missions is the journey. It is a wonder how God directs His people, a rich topic in this section, all for a bounty that is tied up in people.

- He is using His people all over the world and all through time, to find other people who will turn from darkness to light, from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God.

- He will guide and direct you today in many of the same ways, some of which will be difficult and confusing, but the people are worth the struggle to God.

- With that in mind, let's consider this passage a primer on God's direction for you and His reward in them.

Text

•  Acts 15:36  :  "Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.'"  :  As per Luke's policy, there is an indeterminate amount of days here, guesses range from months to 5 years.

- However long, it wasn't too long before Paul got the itch to head back out.

- In the church, you will find that there are men and women who are incredibly different in their gifting and grace. Some have the grace to stay forever, constantly sowing seed for whoever will stay.

- Some are barely home when they feel compelled to leave again! That was Paul. He was principally a pioneer, but also a Pastor. Paul's journey began with a desire born from God's heart!

- Sometimes when Christians ask what they should do, I ask them, "What do you want to do?" If there is something that won't die, that seems impossible, that is in line with scripture...

- When God leads you, sometimes it's His desire that is born in you!

- Paul was one who desired to make more than a convert. Paul wanted to make disciples, concerned for the continuing development of those who had been saved.

- The decree from Jerusalem Christian Fellowship was working wonders among the church of Antioch. There was freedom and rejoicing.

- What affect had the Jerusalem decree had among those churches? How were his brethren doing? How were they living out the gospel?

- A visit would answer his questions and provide a great opportunity for further ministry.

•  Acts 15:37-41  :  "Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.'"  : Paul wanted to go, but did not want to go alone. When Jesus sent His disciples, He sent them in twos. This was no doubt in Paul's mind.

- Add to it that Barnabas was Paul's first friend and trusty travel companion.

- When Paul approached Barnabas, he was in immediate agreement and instinctively intended to invite Mark to join them. He was resolved in and of himself to do this.

- Paul was a pioneer primarily. Barnabas was primarily a discipler.

- Barnabas, always the encourager, wanted an opportunity for Mark to get to finish what he had begun on the last journey. It was not natural for him to give up on anyone.

- Mark had grown up and maybe regretted his actions the first time around. Barnabas thought this would be a good chance for him to make amends. Paul however, was not in agreement.

- Barnabas pushed, but Paul insisted over and over again that they should not take Mark with them. He had departed or deserted from them and had not gone with them to the work.

- That was Paul's perspective on Mark. He was a washout. He could not be trusted to finish. Paul was not willing to give Mark another chance.

- During the first missionary journey, we mentioned that it was very likely that Paul contracted malaria. They had just come from a difficult time on the western edge of Cyprus.

- Mark landed on Pamphylia and decided to sail back to Jerusalem. He withdrew from them in a difficult circumstance. He also withdrew before a difficult circumstance.

- The team was about to head up into the Taurus mountain range. It would be treacherous climb and a very dangerous road ahead. Mark thought it best to say, "I give!"

- Frankly, Mark was not missionary material. He was a writer. He was a bookworm! He would serve the Lord in a great, but different way. Every Mark in the body of Christ needs a Barnabas!

- Unfortunately, the subject of Mark's involvement was the cause of this great dissension between these men, forming a deep irritation over their disagreement.

- These two great friends, awesome apostles and travel companions were so irritated with one another that it was best to part company. That's not something that we're used to!

- What we have here are two men who are passionate about God and passionate about God's people. They are also men who are stubborn sinners capable of fleshing out just like us!

- Neither man was right, but something seems to have resolved as Barnabas went back to Cyprus, his homeland, where the work had already commenced, Paul toward his hometown.

- A few things to consider at this point. This contention was not a good thing. It's sad when Christians come to this place with one another.

- Both of these men were saved. Both had their respective gifts. Both had a similar agenda, but how they were led to fulfill it was simply different!

- The beautiful thing about the Bible is that it does not attempt to hide it's hero's warts! Luke does not leave this out and we're thankful! These men of God were capable of foolishness!

- Thankfully, God is not limited by His servants' foolishness! God was going to work in spite of them. God did something wonderful with it. God made two missionary teams out of this.

- From these verses it seems that Paul's group received the church's commendation and worked to strengthen the church. Both teams sought the best plan and went about doing God's work.

•  Acts 16:1  :  "Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. "  :  On their way toward Cilicia, Paul and Silas stopped by in the towns of Derbe and Lystra, both places that Paul had visited on the first journey.

- Lystra was where he had been stoned and presumed dead. Talk about lasting memories! "Hey Silas, this is where I got stoned!"

- Those days in Lystra were very difficult. Derbe, we know little about, but Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in that city as well.

- When they came back to visit this church, they found a disciple there. Think of this folks: In the midst of what some might have deemed a failure, there grew a disciple named Timothy!

- This disciple is an especially great encouragement to us, in that he lived in an area that was completely pagan. They attempted to kill Paul for calling their religious exercise a vanity!

- The point is that this disciple did not grow up around a Bible belt, either for support or for discipline! He grew in a hostile environment and had a mixed heritage.

- When Paul and Barnabas had left these churches, they committed the work to God. God answered having the power to keep that which the church commends to Him.

 - Timothy's mother was Jewish and she had believed in Jesus. II Timothy 1:5 tells us that her name was Eunice and the sense of that passage is that she raised Timothy in sincere faith.

- Paul also adds there that this faith began first in Timothy's grandmother Lois. These two women had a profound affect upon this young man.

- This was a large part of Timothy's heritage, but his Father was a Greek. That drops into the text like a lead balloon. Living in that region likely meant that he held to Lystran mythology.

- He probably served the gods that Paul had insulted! Imagine the tension in that house!

- It is difficult to say what happened here. A Jewish person knew not to intermarry with someone who was a Gentile. This woman did. Perhaps she married carnally and then got radical.

- We are not given the details, but we can say this on this side of the full revelation of God's word: Marriage is hard enough when two people believe the same thing about God!

- God never endorses a plan where two people are widely divergent in their allegiance to Him! For many children, this conflict confuses at the very least or cripples at the worst.

- The good news is that Timothy, because of God's grace, was not destined to be a statistic!

- God's grace raised him from his circumstances and allowed Him to have the grace to stand in a hostile environment and a divided household.

- For those of you who have concerns for your children, pray that God would give the same grace to them as he did to Timothy!

- He certainly did not have the best chance to be a godly man, but God worked in his life despite having a mixed set of life messages and examples.

•  Acts 16:2-5  :  "He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily."  : Timothy was more than a decent boy. He was becoming a good man. Luke tells us that among the church, Timothy was a man with a good reputation.

- Another key for parents who want their kids to grow well: Church is essential! Timothy was getting mixed messages at home, but he was surrounded by godly people at church!

- The people of God could not speak well of a person that they did not know! Timothy was not an infrequent visitor, he was a full fledged member of this church!

- As such, he was in a position to be used by the Lord and have the experience of a lifetime by traveling with one of the greatest theologians to ever live!

- The dream however, began as a nightmare when Paul asked him to come with him, so that he could circumcise him! I wonder how that conversation went!?

- Wait a minute Paul? What about the letter from Jerusalem? What about the council and their decree that circumcision was unnecessary for salvation?

- Paul did not circumcise Timothy for salvation. He circumcised him for the sake of sensitivity. Notice the words, "because of the Jews."

- They would be visiting several Jewish communities that would know of Timothy's heritage.

- Paul's motivation was to clear the way for the message to go through unobstructed. He did not want to get there and have to fight against the prejudice of the Jews.

- His plan worked, as the team went forward and saw the churches receive their news, receive strength and increase in their number.

•  Acts 16:6-8  :  "Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas."  :  From Lystra and Iconium, they went to Phrygia and Galatia, central Turkey today.

 - The next logical land mass was Asia, which to the Romans was Northern Turkey. They wanted to go to preach the word. The Spirit forbid them to do this.

- The word means to hinder, foil or refuse. He put up a road block that they could not traverse.

- The Spirit of God is sovereign in sending the Apostles, as much as He is in keeping them! God's Spirit has the power to commission and command. Sometimes, He says no.

- The Apostle had great authority, could perform miracles, could establish leadership in the churches that they began, but they were not free agents!

- No true man or woman of God will ever be his own authority! The Spirit of God is always to be at the helm of their mission!

- From the text, it seems that they still tried, going as far north as Mysia, hoping to go into Bithynia. They interpreted the first answer as a "no for now."

- Maybe God will let us when we get to Mysia? When they tried again, the answer was still "no!" The Spirit did not permit them. He did not allow it to happen, so they settled for a time in Troas.

- Troas was a beautiful seaside town, situated on the Aegean sea. The air would have been cool and crisp, with a beautiful view. All would have enjoyed a stay there, except for Paul!

- For Paul, Troas was a place of confusion and questions. They had had a wonderful trip thus far. Didn't the people of Northern Turkey need the gospel? Hadn't God called them to this?

- Paul probably went to bed asking the question that often haunts all of us: "Why?"

- In those moments, when things seen to contradict, it can be frustrating for the man or woman of God. Sometimes God says "no" even to what we think would be a good thing.

- If you have ever wondered why, look at what happens next.

•  Acts 16:9,10  :  "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them." :  As they slept that night, God spoke. He answered their questions. He clarified His desire.

- As Paul slept, a man from Greece appeared to him. Macedonia, Greece was the land mass directly across the sea. Paul had wanted to turn north. God had a man in the west!

- He was a man who needed help. Whether this was a literal man or a representative of a man that Paul understood, it was unmistakeable that this man needed and was calling for God's help.

- God was working on both sides. On the side of the need, there was a call out for spiritual help. On the other side of the sea, there was a man who only wanted to be a help!

- It was the perfect situation! Paul, Silas and Timothy could have gone to Asia and had decent results. However, Macedonia would be a place of better results!

- If you are the gospel gun that God is going to use, He wants to be sure that your aimed correctly and have the best impact!

- Paul had his peace. He had what he needed and without delay, they knew that they had standing orders to preach the gospel of grace in Greece!

- Notice that from here on out, the word "we" is used. At Troas, God confirmed Paul's trajectory and He added a partner to him in Dr. Luke.

- Luke was now a first hand witness to all that was happening, a member of Paul's preaching team. I imagine much of what we have already read was delivered to him as they traveled.

- God has a reason for making you wait! He has a reason for saying "no!" Often times, there is a person at the other end of that equation!

•  Acts 16:11-15  :  "Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.' So she persuaded us."  :  The awesome foursome came to the chief Macedonian colony of that time when they came into Phillippi.

- This colony consisted largely of veteran soldiers who had been planted there, so the citizenry was noble. Additionally, gold mines had been discovered nearby making Philippi rich.

- Add in a nearby waterway for trade and commerce and you have a wonderful city.

- Paul and his team had been there for several days, perhaps scoping out the situation and getting oriented to where they might find people who would be open to their message.

- This brought them out to river banks where they expected to find a group praying. Indeed, there was a group of women praying. One woman named Lydia stood out.

- It's important that she was from Thyatira. She was a merchant out on business, peddling the purple Thyatiran cloth and dye that was famous in those days.

- She stood out from these women because she worshiped God. How did they know this? What did they see? Whatever the case, it was identifiable to them.

- Listen to those words: The Lord opened her heart! The gospel was going forth and at that moment, God was doing a work, giving her the grace to receive what was being said!

- We must always preach and pray, "God, open their hearts! Give them grace to receive!"

- She not only received what Paul had said, but she was baptized and so was her household. Her employees, her family such as it was. Her life was influential in saving an entire group of people!

- We do well to remember this: When our preaching reaches one, it reaches far beyond what we can see!

- Lydia, the first Greek convert woman, became a frutiful believer and gave the apostles a place to stay. The word seems to indicate that her home was open to them for a season.

- The NLT says that she "urged them until they agreed!" What a great lady!

Conclusion

- There are Marks out there that need a Barnabas, Timothys who need a Paul and Lydias that need a team to invest in! On the other hand, we need more brothers, sons and sisters!

- God is making a family from His own blood. The joy is in finding them!