Untitled Sermon (5)

Acts 16:6-15

Review & Overview

1. Last Week

COMMENTARY: We saw Paul begin his second missionary journey and we looked at several things about this 2nd missionary journey.

The Heart Behind The Journey - It was to Disciple.

The Conflict Before The Journey - Barnabas wanted to bring his cousin Mark, but Paul didn’t because he left them no the 1st missionary journey. And what spoke to use with that is that often times our disputes are not about the end goal or the main mission, but how to get to the end goal is what often times comes in between people. This is what happened, Paul & Barnabas were not being flexible on how to get to the end goal so they split.

A Blessing In Disguise - Because now there are 2 teams for God that are proclaiming the Gospel. Romans 8:28.

The New Recruit For The Journey - Timothy

2. This Week

COMMENTARY: So this brings us to Vs. 6 as we continue to follow Paul in his 2nd Missionary Journey. The thing we want to look at the involves Pauls 2nd missionary journey is...

1. God’s Communication Vs. 6-10

ILLUSTRATION: http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/c/communication.htm

ILLUSTRATION: The power of a successfully communicated thought, from one human mind to another, is one of the greatest forces we know. But like the tango, it takes two to communicate. You can communicate a thought, but your thought may not be understood. In some cases, your thought may not even reach the proper target.

ILLUSTRATION: The great movie maker, Cecil B. DeMille would agree. DeMille was making one of his great epic movies. He had six cameras at various points to pick up the overall action and five other cameras set up to film plot developments involving the major characters.

ILLUSTRATION: The large cast had begun rehearsing their scene at 6 a.m. They went through it four times and now it was late afternoon. The sun was setting and there was just enough light to get the shot done. DeMille looked over the panorama, saw that all was right, and gave the command for action.

ILLUSTRATION: One hundred extras charged up the hill; another hundred came storming down the same hill to do mock battle. In another location Roman centurions lashed and shouted at two hundred slaves who labored to move a huge stone monument toward its resting place. Meanwhile the principal characters acted out, in close-up, their reactions to the battle on the hill. Their words were drowned out by the noise around them, but the dialogue was to be dubbed in later.

ILLUSTRATION: It took fifteen minutes to complete the scene. When it was over, DeMille yelled, "Cut!" and turned to his assistant, all smiles. "That was great!" he said. "It was, C.B.," the assistant yelled back. "It was fantastic! Everything went off perfectly!"

ILLUSTRATION: Enormously pleased, DeMille turned to face the head of his camera crew to find out if all the cameras had picked up what they had been assigned to film. He waved to the camera crew supervisor. From the top of the hill, the camera supervisor waved back, raised his megaphone, and called out, "Ready when you are, C.B!"  

COMMENTARY: And we see here in Vs. 6-10 that God communicates to Paul & the team in two ways: Through the HS & Through a Vision.

COMMENTARY: As we’ve been looking at the early church we saw it was Powerful, it was strong in the faith, it was Growing spiritually & numerically. Why? Because they were led by the Holy Spirit.

Through The Holy Spirit Vs. 6-7

God’s Timing Vs. 6

COMMENTARY: Phyrgia is in the western region of Galatia or Asia Minor, we know it as Modern day Turkey. And as they had gone through these regions the Holy Spirit forbade them to preach the Word of God.

COMMENTARY: And this is interesting to me because Paul would eventually preach God’s Word in these regions during his 3rd missionary journey. And this shows me a couple of things:

God’s Timing - How many of you guys know that God is always on Time? The Problem is that we always want things to happen in our time.

Ecclesiastes 3:1= The problem is that we don’t want to wait for that time, we want winter during summer, and summer during winter.

APPLICATION: We have to understand that God’s timing is the best timing.

Ecclesiastes 3:11= He has made everything beautiful in its time...

Galatians 4:4=

APPLICATION: You know sometimes we will find ourselves in situations that Seems right but the timing is wrong.

APPLICATION: So you may be getting a closed door and “NO” for an answer but in reality the answer is, “Not Right Now”.

God’s Preparation - Although Paul would eventually make it there for his 3rd missionary journey, God would first send a man called Apollos there to prepare the people for Paul.

COMMENTARY: This is why Paul would later go on to right in....

1 Corinthians 3:6= One planted & one watered.

God Says No Vs. 7

COMMENTARY: Mysia & Bythynia are in the north, on the Black Sea, a beautiful forested area. And we see this time that they actually tried to go to this region.

COMMENTARY: You know by now Paul is getting antsy, if you don’t know Paul, he will take every opportunity to Preach God’s Word. And I say this because...

Tried Greek= The word for “tried” in the Greek is obviously a verb and this verb tried is in the imperfect tense. Which means that it is an action that was repeated, continually in the past.

COMMENTARY: So Paul continually was trying to go north to Bithynia and it took him a while to realize it was not the right way, so the Holy Spirit did not permit them.

COMMENTARY: So what we see here is that Paul didn’t try just once, he tried to go to Asia, but HS said not now, but during this time Paul thinks its a no. Then he tried Bithynia and the Holy Spirit said no, a lot of times!

APPLICATION: But you know, Paul did not give up, he just kept on trying other doors.

ILLUSTRATION: You know when I first got saved I knew that God had called me right away to Pastor and preach His Word. And as I look back I can think of countless of times where I stepped out in faith and doors would close and God would say no.

ILLUSTRATION: I remember times where the Lord gave me the power to fix up some really good sermons to find out that no one would show up to the bible study. I remember wanting to start my own non-profit but God wouldn’t allow me to do it.

ILLUSTRATION: My heart was to serve God full time, but I also had the responsibility to care and provide for my family. So for years I was torn with work and ministry. So I tried starting up companies, and I really consumed myself with certain sales jobs so that I can provide for my family and most importantly so that I can be freed up for ministry. But God kept on closing all the doors and telling me no, no, no, and it got to the point that ministry was getting in the way from me providing for my family, so I had to make a choice.

ILLUSTRATION: And during that time I looked back and I told myself, well I tried and I kept trying, over and over again and my desire to be in full time ministry never came I tried working really hard so that maybe I can fund myself for full time ministry but that never came. So I took that as a NO from God.

ILLUSTRATION: And because my family was now getting to the point where we were struggling financially I made the decision to step away from all ministry so that I can focus on my family. And it brought me to tears.

ILLUSTRATION: But literally a day and a half later, Pastor Hinchey calls me and says Pastor Clark wants to sit down and talk to you. TALK ABOUT FEAR.

ILLUSTRATION: Long story short, he ends up hiring me full time to Pastor the High School ministry. You know I would not be here right now Pastoring and preaching God’s Word before you all, if it wasn’t for all of the shut doors, rejections, and all No’s that God gave me.

APPLICATION: Just because doors close and God says no, does not mean God does not have a plan.

APPLICATION: If we want to find out what God has called us to do, we need to step out and try. If things do not work out no problem, just step out and try something else.

Through a Vision Vs. 8-10

Visions & Dreams

COMMENTARY: So God can speak through dreams & visions...

Genesis 37:5= Joseph had two dreams that he would rule over his brothers & family

Daniel 2= Daniel interpreted the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar

Joel 2:28=

APPLICATION: But we need to be careful of dreams, not all dreams are from God...

Ecclesiastes 5:7= Much dreaming and many words are meaningless.

God Closes & Opens Doors

APPLICATION: And here is the point: When the HS closes a door, He typically opens another.

APPLICATION: The question is are we Listening to the Spirit? Are we open & flexible to the Leading of the Spirit?

APPLICATION: So often we make our plans and then ask the Lord to bless it, rather then waiting on the HS to speak to our hearts to tell us what to do and what not to do.

APPLICATION: Often when we look to the Lord for answers we want something big, we want a booming voice of God. But typically when God speaks to His people He uses a still small voice. In...

1 Kings 19:11-12= After Jezebel had threatened to Kill Elijah

APPLICATION: We have to learn to sit, wait & listen, or we will miss the direction of the Lord.

Confirmation of God’s Communication

COMMENTARY: And notice Paul did not just accept that the vision was from God, he verified it by talking to other Godly men who were there with him.

APPLICATION: If we believe that God is calling us to do something in particular, talk it over with other Godly men and women so you can be sure!

Proverbs 15:22=

COMMENTARY: The ultimate authority on whether we are being led by the Spirit is the Word!

Proverbs 3:5-6= It is by trusting in the Lord, not us, that we know what we are called to do...

Proverbs 16:9= And this does not mean we turn our brains off, God gave us a brain so He wants us to use it.

COMMENTARY: We should be planning our steps, but always remember the Lord directs… We do not just sit around and wait for a voice from heaven to direct us. No, we are to walk by faith!

2 Corinthians 5:7= This is the Christian walk, not the Christians sit. We are called to step in faith, to find out what we are called to do.

The Gospel Message

COMMENTARY: So what we have here in our study today is God’s communication with His children. But what we have to understand is this...

Isaiah 59:2= PREACH ON SIN HINDERS OUR COMMUNICATION WITH GOD...

1 Timothy 2:5= ONLY THROUGH JESUS WE HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH GOD...

Romans 5:8= BUT ONE THING GOD WANTS TO COMMUNICATE TO EVERYONE IS THAT HE LOVES YOU, AND WANT YOU TO KNOW HIM...

John 17:3= ETERNAL LIFE IS KNOWING GOD...

Genesis 4:3 NKJV

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 NKJV

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.