God’s Unfailing Providence
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[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to Acts 16:1-15.
We are back in the book of Acts. Acts is like a friend that we have gotten to know since I began this sermon series in 2021. And we took a break from it for about two months to focus on some topics for the Christmas and the New Year season.
I would encourage you to spend this week reading the book of Acts so that you’re all caught up. Or you can listen to my sermons on our church website. (READ)
Illustration
[SLIDE 2] Let me ask you a question to reflect on in this sermon: “How many of you are facing uncertainty?”
Uncertainty is a feeling of not knowing where life is heading.
Perhaps some people rely on luck, fate and the present situation to make decisions and hope for the best.
Uncertainty can bring both fear and excitement. It can offer the chance to seek adventure in unexpected ways.
From a human perspective, sometimes, life is full of uncertainty. Even if you make certain plans, sometimes, your plan may fall flat.
However, in the biblical worldview, while it is true that Christians cannot always know what the future is going to be like, they can be certain on the One who is 100% certain about your future: God Himself.
When good or bad things happen in our life, our world would attribute those events as, “Good Luck or Bad Luck.”
But the Bible doesn’t teach that concept. It teaches the providence of God.
[SLIDE 3] God’s providence simply means His active involvement in accomplishing His purpose and will in His creation, but in a mysterious and unseen way.
And by saying God’s unfailing providence, whatever the outcome God produces in our life will always be for our good, and for His glory.
God is looking out for us, guiding us and taking care of us, protecting us and providing for our needs.
As Christians, we can have faith and confidence in God’s providence over uncertainty of life.
And it is a comforting thought that despite the difficulties life throws at us, we can rest assured that God is with us every step of the way.
What took place slightly before Acts 16 was the disagreement and division between Paul and his ministry partner, Barnabas, which I think was an unfortunate event.
Nonetheless, that didn’t hinder God’s unfailing providence in providing the Apostle Paul the means and directions in continuing the Great Commission in spreading the gospel.
[SLIDE 4] Remember the major theme in the book of Acts. The major theme in the book of Acts is summarized by our Lord Jesus in Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Whatever God requires of us, He will provide us the necessary means and resources to carry out His mission.
As I expound this passage, we will learn that the providence of God led the Apostle Paul in:
establishing a new missionary team,
finding new opportunities by the leading by the Spirit,
planting a new church.
Biblical Theology
Context
Exposition
[SLIDE 5] 1. Establishing A New Missionary Team (vv.1-5)
From this lesson, I want to show you that God provided a new team for Paul.
Paul had the desire to visit the churches that he planted during his first missionary journey in Acts 13-14. Hence, Paul said this to Barnabas before they parted ways from each other:
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
[SLIDE 6] So, in verse 41, Paul and Silas travelled around to the region of Syria and then travelled to Cilicia to strengthen the churches.
While they were in Cilicia, it is possible that they stopped by Paul’s hometown, which was Tarsus.
So, at the beginning of verse 1 and in verses 4-5, when they got to Derbe and Lystra and then Iconium, they travelled through the cities to strengthen the churches.
[SLIDE 7] Now, how exactly did Paul strengthen those churches?
IN verse 4, it’s by reporting the decision made by the Jerusalem Council that the Gentiles no longer need to be circumcised to be justified and to be saved. They might’ve read the same letter given to the church in Antioch found in Acts 15:23-29.
Why were those churches then strengthened? It’s because circumcision was no longer a hindrance to predominantly Gentile churches.
Consequently, those churches increased in numbers daily. More people were becoming followers of Jesus.
Now, going back to verses 1-3, we see Paul and Silas travelling west and they got to Derbe and then to Lystra (the same place where Paul (almost) got stoned to death in Acts 14).
When they arrived at Lystra, we’re introduced to Timothy.
If you don’t know Timothy, he’s an important character of the Bible.
If you know your New Testament, the Apostle Paul wrote two letters to Timothy: 1 and 2 Timothy.
Paul mentions Timothy in the introduction of many of the New Testament letters.
Timothy was a friend, a travelling companion, a ministry partner and co-worker of Paul.
And the Apostle Paul eventually “adopted” him as his spiritual son.
We remember that Paul separated from Barnabas and Mark. And just as Silas replaced Barnabas, Timothy would replace Mark.
Now, we are given a brief profile of Timothy in these verses.
He was a disciple of Jesus. In Acts 14:21-22, he was one of the many Christians in Lystra who was encouraged by Paul to continue in the faith and that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God.
He was a son of a Jewish woman. According to 2 Timothy 1:5, her name was Eunice.
We are told, however, that his father was a Greek. A Gentile. A non-Jew.
Jews weren’t supposed to intermarry with pagan Gentiles. We don’t know the reason why Eunice married a Greek. Perhaps there weren’t enough Jewish men in Lystra so she had no other choice but to marry a Gentile. That’s at least my best guess.
Either way, Timothy would then be considered a mixed Jew.
Knowing the profile of Timothy, Paul wants him to accompany him in the missionary journey.
Why did Paul choose Timothy?
Timothy had an advantage that Paul did not have. He was ethnically mixed, so he was familiar with both the Jewish and Gentile/Greek culture.
Also, in verse 2, Timothy had a good reputation in the Christian churches at Lystra and Iconium.
And we learn in other NT letters that Timothy was well endorsed by Paul for his godly character and love for the believers.
We are not certain how long Timothy and Paul have known each other for, but Paul picked the best and qualified young man to accompany him.
And this is important for church ministry. There is wisdom in finding a believer who has a good reputation and character in the church family. Someone who is well-spoken of.
However, there is a “problem” with Timothy. He’s not circumcised. So, if Timothy were to accompany Paul, then he would have to be circumcised. That’s exactly what happened.
But this raises a theological problem: Why did Paul circumcise Timothy since the Jerusalem Council settled the issue that circumcision isn’t required for salvation?
The answer is quite simple. This was not an issue of salvation. The issue was for Timothy not to cause an offense to other non-believing Jews and thus hindering the mission of reaching them with the gospel.
While Timothy was mix, he was still considered a Jew. Jews would be offended to know that a Jew wasn’t circumcised. So, it was an issue for Timothy to honour his Jewish heritage.
After Timothy was circumcised, the missionary team has been established and they are on their way to do ministry.
[SLIDE 8] So, by the unfailing providence of God, He led the Apostle Paul in establishing a new missionary team.
Here’s a point of application: Ministry should be done as a team.
Sometimes, things could be done alone. But we should avoid a situation where gifted believers are working alone. Certainly, Philip the evangelist ministered alone in Acts 8, but I think that’s generally the exception, not the rule.
Jesus set an example for us by assembling twelve men to be His Apostles. When He sent out His disciples to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He sent them two-by-two.
In the Old Testament, Moses had Aaron and Joshua and Miriam.
Elijah had Elisha.
So, if you are in ministry at OBC, who are you working with? Are you a lone-ranger or are you a team player. What does your team look like? How can you foster a healthy team? Do you know your own team members outside of church ministry?
I think ministry and leadership teams can be unhealthy if all they talk about is church and ministry, and nothing else.
I think a good way to foster a healthy team is by sitting down together for a meal and talk and laugh and get to know each other more personally.
[SLIDE 9] Moving to the second point. By the unfailing providence of God, the Apostle Paul was...
2. Being Led By The Spirit To New Opportunities (vv.6-10)
Now, this section of Acts talks about the idea of “God closing doors” - metaphorically speaking. You may understand that concept.
At times, we have a strong desire to make something happen, and it can be hard to accept when life doesn't turn out the way we want it to.
We may feel overwhelmed, confused and discouraged when God closes a door in our lives. Closed doors hinder what we have planned. They’re inconvenient.
However, we must remember that His plans are always the best. He closes doors because He knows that the path we wanted to take is not the right one for us.
It can be difficult to accept and trust in His decisions, but trusting in Him is the best option we have.
Here is a simple example:
You applied for a job that you were very passionate about, only to find out that you did not make the cut. God closed that door for you…perhaps...to redirect you to a job in the same or different field that was a better fit for your skills and would open up better opportunities for the future.
We must remember that Paul’s intention was to go and strengthen the churches that they have visited
[SLIDE 10] Afterwards, Paul and his team had other plans. He wanted to travel to Asia as he was passing through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.
Now, a quick clarification. When the Bible talks about Asia, it’s not referring to the continent of Asia.
Asia in the New Testament is specifically located on the west of modern day Turkey.
So, that’s where Paul and his team were heading.
But something odd happens in these few verses. The text says...
The Holy Spirit forbid them from speaking the word in Asia. (MAP)
So, when Paul and his team were prevented from going west to Asia, they tried going north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. (MAP)
And Bithynia was located on the North of modern Turkey.
So, you may raise some important questions: why did the Holy Spirit forbid the team from speaking the word (or the gospel of Jesus and the Word of God) in Asia? In a similar fashion, why did the Spirit of Jesus not allow them to go to Bithynia? How did Paul discern that the Holy Spirit wasn’t leading them to those locations?
Truly truly, I say to you, I don’t have answers to those questions because the text doesn’t tell us why.
This is particularly bizarre especially when Jesus instructed His disciples to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.
And perhaps Luke the author was either intentional about leaving out the details or he did not know about it himself.
For whatever reason, we know that God did not allow them to enter however way He communicated that message to them.
And I think there is a practical lesson to be made.
In the midst of our uncertainty,
or when we face a closed door,
or when plans don’t turn out to be what we expect them to be...
God doesn’t always give us answers. He is not always obligated to give us an explanation.
But God does expect His people to trust and follow Him and be led by His Spirit.
When God allows you to go, you go. When God forbids you, you stop.
There is also another thing: When God says later, you wait.
Later on in Acts 19, Paul will eventually reach a city called Ephesus.
Ephesus was the capital city of a Roman province in Asia. Paul would plant a church there, and eventually write a letter to the Ephesians, which is found in the NT.
So, he does eventually go to Asia, but not now.
Paul and his team couldn’t travel west or north. They don’t need to travel south because Paul has already been there and proclaimed the gospel. They’re not travelling east or else they’re going back home.
[SLIDE 11] What’s left is that they persevered, travelled northwest, and got through Mysia and eventually landed in this place called Troas.
And it was at Troas where Paul received a vision to go to Macedonia. And it seems that Paul recognized that the vision was from the Lord.
Paul and his team are going to that particular location because they concluded that it was God’s will for them to go there to preach the gospel to the people in Macedonia.
[SLIDE 12] Just a note to observe in verse 10.
For the first time in Acts, the text uses a “we.” In grammar, that’s called first person plural. “We.”
So far, we have Paul, Silas, and Timothy as a missionary team. But, by saying, “we,” the author of Acts was included into the team. Who is the author? Luke himself.
So we see Luke joining the Apostle Paul and his team in the missionary journey. Quite a solid team already.
So, by the unfailing providence of God, He led the Apostle Paul by the Spirit To New Opportunities.
[SLIDE 13] Here’s a point of application: Being submissive and sensitive to God’s will and plan for your life.
Humans are generally planners. We plan for our future.
But do you plan with God’s will in mind? [SLIDE 14]
Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)
9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
When you do make plans, are you overly confident and prideful about them? Guess what? James warns you: [SLIDE 15]
James 4:13–16 (ESV)
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
When God closes a door in your life, remember, this is all part of God’s mysterious providence.
You may have planned and hoped to get a particular job, but God had a different plan.
You may have planned to get into this university, but God had a different plan.
You may have planned and hoped that your children would be self-disciplined, active, and obedient by taking them through different activities, but God had a different plan.
You’re here and alive today for a reason because God planned it.
That is to remind you that you’re not God and you’re not in absolute control of your own life. He is.
[SLIDE 16] Lastly, moving to the third point. By the unfailing providence of God, He led the Apostle Paul in...
3. Planting A New Church (vv.11-15)
After Paul recognized the vision as God’s sovereign guidance, he and his team went to the city of Philippi by sailing to Somathrace (an island) and then arrived at Neapolis (port city of Macedonia) and then travelling for another at least 100 KM.
[SLIDE 17] If you don’t know where Macedonia is, it is located in the northeast of modern day Greece. That region was part of the Roman colony, an area controlled or colonized by the Romans during the days of emperor Augustus.
And Philippi was the leading city of the district of Macedonia.
So, Paul and his team remained in Philippi for some days. We don’t know how long they have been staying there.
[SLIDE 18] But Sabbath Day came. And on the Sabbath Day, Paul would usually go to the Jewish synagogue if he was at a new location. However, there does not seem to be a synagogue, which may suggest that the Jewish community was rather small in Philippi.
Paul and his team went outisde the gate to the riverside. According to the custom, there was a place of prayer, which suggests that there was no building for the Jewish community.
Those who were at the place of prayer were women. One of them was called Lydia.
She was a seller of purple goods.
This means that she was a businesswoman (or a merchent) who was quite successful and wealthy for selling purple (woolen) cloth. In those days, they were a commodity or extremely valuable.
Also, she was a worshiper of God. This usually refers to someone who used to believe in many different gods. But now, Lydia became a pious and devoted woman to the God of Israel.
Lydia came from the city of Thyatira. And Thyatira specialized in the purple cloth.
You remember that God forbid Paul from going to Asia to speak the word there.
Interestingly enough, Thyatira was a city in the province of Asia.
By God’s providence, Lydia from Thyratira was able to hear the gospel proclaimed by these men outside of her city.
Notice that it was the sovereign Lord who opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
But it’s not just to pay attention like focusing and listening.
The implication of paying attention is that Lydia was heeding, responding, or accepting the message of the gospel. And she certainly trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for her salvation.
God is sovereign and in control over one’s salvation. Unless God opens the heart of the sinner to pay attention and receive the gospel with the gift of faith, that sinner cannot be saved.
The evidence of Lydia’s salvation is that she got baptized, which symbolizes her identification with the Lord Jesus.
And she became a hospitable woman by strongly urging these missionaries to stay at her house.
Eventually, that home became the first church in the city of Philippi where Paul would later write to the Philippians while he’s in prison.
But that’s not all.
Remember what I said about God’s unfailing providence? Whatever the outcome God produces in our life will always be for our good, and for His glory.
God in His providence took this missionary team from the east in Syria all the way to the west to the city of Phillipi.
And you know what’s very significant about this?
Philippi would be the city whereby the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST was first planted onto the European soil.
So, by the unfailing providence of God, He led the Apostle Paul in planting a new church (the very first church) in Europe. (you can call it the First Baptist Church Of Europe).
Christianity did not begin in Europe, but you can now trace the history of Christianity in Europe back to the city of Phillipi.
And the church in Phillipi would become a very healthy and generous church whereby they partnered with the Apostle Paul in the gospel ministry through financial support.
[SLIDE 19] I suppose a simple application on the third point is this: God Wants His Glory To Be Known By All. This implies the whole entire earth. [SLIDE 20] This hearkens back to two passages in the Old Testament:
Habakkuk 2:14 (ESV)
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Psalm 72:18–19 (ESV)
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. 19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!
Indeed, as Christians, it is our responsibility to make the glory and name of Christ known to those who don’t know Him.
Certainly, that’s what Peter did in Acts 2. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord (YHWH the God of Israel) shall be saved.
From there, Peter preached Christ to the Jews and many of them were saved by the LORD.
[SLIDE 21] Application
In summary to what we have learned…By the unfailing providence of God, the Apostle Paul was...
Establishing A New Missionary Team (vv.1-5)
Being Led By The Spirit To New Opportunities (vv.6-10)
Planting A New Church (vv.11-15)
Three points of application:
1. Ministry should be done as a team.
2. You are to be submissive and sensitive to God’s will and plan for your life.
3. God wants His glory to be known by all.
[SLIDE 22] Conclusion
As I slowly wrap up this sermon, I want to encourage you to know that God’s unfailing providence is never a waste.
You may have faced uncertainty and closed doors in your life. You may feel like your time and opportunities have been wasted.
But know that if you are follower of Christ, God is using those situations to grow your character and dependence upon Him.
And perhaps God wants you to wait upon Him and His timing. Waiting does require patience and endurance. But God will lead you to the place where you need to be so that you can be a witness for Jesus.
So, will you trust in God’s unfailing providence in your life?
But God’s providence is not just only for believers, He is just as in control over the lives of unbelievers.
And if you are not in Christ, and yet you are here to listen to the preaching of His word, it’s not by coincidence or luck that you’re here.
By His grace and mercy, God has placed you exactly where you need to be so that you can hear the word of Jesus, turn to Him and be saved from your sins and be reconciled to God, just like Lydia. I pray and hope that God has opened up the eyes of your heart to pay attention, to receive and accept the message of the gospel...
That Christ died for your sins, buried, and was raised on the 3rd day, and He’s calling you to repent of your sins and believe in Christ.