Acts_16_1-10

Acts_16_1-10
11/16/08

Acts_16
I. Introductry
A. Paul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch from Jerusalem after the event known as the Jerusalem council, where the church officially ruled that circumcision and keeping the law are not requirements for salvation.
1. After some time Paul and Barnabas determined to take a second missionary journey to strengthen the churches they planted on their first trip.
2. But a sharp division occurred between them over young John Mark whom Barnabas wanted to take along but Paul refused because he had abandoned them during the first trip.
3. The division was so sharp that Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus, and Paul took Silas and traveled through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches he and Barnabas had established there.
II. Timothy joins the team.
Acts 16:1-5 (NKJV)
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.
2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 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.
4 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.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
A. They are traveling in the reverse order from the first missionary journey their approach being from the east this time and thus they came to Derbe first.
1. And at Lystra is a young man named Timothy described as a disciple.
a. Timothy was probably a convert of Paul who refers to him as "his own son in the faith"
1 Timothy 1:2 (NKJV)
2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 4:17 (NKJV)
17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
(1) Certainly it is clear through the NT references to this young man that Paul Mentored him and trained him for ministry.
b. Here he is referred to as a disciple already, and he has full of knowledge of the persecutions including the stoning which Paul endured on his first trip to Lystra, which indicate he was a convert on that first trip.
2 Timothy 3:10-11 (NKJV)
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,
11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.

c. He was the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, she and his Grandmother had passed along a Godly heritage to him.
2 Timothy 1:5 (NKJV)
5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

2 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV)
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

(1) Both by example and by instruction in the scriptures they passed along this Godly heritage to him.
2. His dad was Greek and beyond that we are not told anything about his dad.
3. Timothy himself we are told had a good reputation among the local churches, and the gifting and grace for ministry were evident in his life and attested to by those that knew him.
a. What a great report, and this is as it should be, ordination for ministry should simply be man saying amen (we agree) to what God is already doing in someone’s life.
(1) This sadly is misunderstood and many fill the pulpit of today’s churches simply because they completed a series of prescribed classes, for a profession they chose, rather than being chosen by God to fulfill.
B. So Paul wants to take Timothy along for the rest of the journey, but on account of Jews who lived in the areas they would be ministering to, Paul first circumcises Timothy, who was not already circumcised because his dad was Greek and circumcision was not a common practice of the Greeks.

1. After all the fuss over circumcision in chapter-15 we naturally stop and ask why is Paul first circumcising Timothy before taking him along in ministry.

a. In chapter-15 the issue was over circumcision as a requirement for salvation, that is not the issue here, Timothy is already a believer, having received salvation by faith, and circumcision has nothing to do with it.
b. But in order to avoid conflict with Jews since they would be ministering to both Jew and Gentile, this would allow Timothy to be more effective in the ministry to which God was calling him.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NKJV)
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

(1) This was all the more important because Timothy was both Jewish and Greek.
(a) Lack of circumcision would have prevented him from being able to preach in the synagogues.
(2) How willing are we to sacrifice personally in order that we might minister to others?
2. And so as the trip continued, Timothy joined them and as they went through the cities and as they did so they delivered the decrees made by the church at the Jerusalem council.
a. And the churches were strengthened both in their faith and in their numbers as new converts were made through the preaching of the gospel and the teaching of God's word.
III. The Macedonian call.
Acts 16:6-10 (NKJV)
6 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.
7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
9 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.”
10 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.
A. After traveling through the Phrygian region of Galatia, they attempted to turn and go into the Roman province of Asia of which Ephesus is the capital but the Holy Spirit forbid them to preach the word in this region.
1. Then as they reached Mysia they attempted to turn up and go into Bithynia, but again the Spirit refused to let them go that way, so passing by Mysia, literally skirting by it and not preaching or ministering anywhere, they came to Troas.
a. Paul would eventually preach in the Roman province of Asia, but now was not the time, God had something else in store for them.
(1) What a great lesson this is for us, we somehow get the idea that we can go what ever way we want to for ministry, but that isn't true.
(a) We can minister wherever we go but that is different than picking a place that we want to go to and establish ministries.
(b) Rather we are to be Spirit led, having a great idea, or simply having a burden for something is not enough, we must be God directed, Paul and his group are sensitive to what God is telling them.
i) I imagine that there may have been some disappointment in this, perhaps some frustration, but they didn't give up, they continued to seek out what God had for them.
B. But there in Troas which is a port town on the Aegean sea (near the site of Ancient Troy) Paul has a vision in the night, a man pleading with him to come over to Macedonia and help them.
1. A plea for help would be a very moving event and immediately Paul and team make plans to cross over to Macedonia, concluding that God was calling them to preach the gospel to them; and thus the gospel is headed to Europe.
a. So Paul and company fall in line with how God is working, and in line with God's divine plan, which they have readily allowed to redirect them and turn them aside from their own plans.
b. Note that Luke says "WE sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called US to preach the gospel to them." and so we see that Luke has at some point joined them in this trip and is now eye witness to the events at this point in time.
2. God has a plan and work for us, something that He is doing and that He wants us to join Him in, may we be more diligent in seeking His direction for us, more sensitive to hear, and more diligent in doing what He shows us to do.
IV. Now then what we are reading is a report of what this missionary group did and what they encountered, a report given to the church, so today we are going to take time to hear an actual report of missionary trip that Peggie and her son Michael recently participated in.