The Partnerships of the Church

Introduction

The word partner describes a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor. Paul and Silas became ministry partners. In fact, God put Paul and Silas in situations where they had partners in the ministry to which they were called. We see that throughout the missionary journeys they shared together. It seems everywhere they went, they were able to partner with other believers to establish and strengthen the church. In Acts 16 there are several partnerships described. The most obvious is partnering with people.

Partnering with People

Acts 16:1–3 NIV84

1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

The Example of Timothy

The example of Timothy is one that is evident in several books of the New Testament. There are six epistles written by Paul that mention help from Timothy as well as the pastoral letters of 1 and 2 Timothy which Paul also wrote. We can see that this partnership was one that was meaningful and one that was lasting. Paul was very affectionate of young Timothy, even calling him a son.

1 Corinthians 4:17 NIV84

17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

This rich partnership brought families together. 2 Timothy 1:5

2 Timothy 1:5 NIV84

5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Paul calls him a fellow worker in Romans 16:21 and 1 Corinthians 16:10. What we have in Acts 16 is the beginning of that partnership. We also see a partnership formed with edification and truth.

The Edification and Truth

Acts 16:4–5 NIV84

4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

It is amazing how often we read where the churches were strengthened in faith and grew daily in numbers. There was genuine love and wholesome relationships among the believers partnered together through Christ. Romans 14:19

Romans 14:19 NIV84

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

We certainly see this played out in Acts 16 as the missionaries established new churches and made them more effective in evangelism. For now, we are going to skip a few verses we will come back to in a few minutes, but I want to continue to show you the partnering with people that took place.

The Expectations and Testimony

In verses 13-15, we see the expectations and testimony that led to other partnerships with people.

Acts 16:13–15 NIV84

13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

It was there custom when they came to a town to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath. The synagogue was a gathering place and a place of prayer. However, if there was not synagogue, there would be a designated place where people would gather for prayer. In Philippi, this place was near the river. I am sure they inquired of those they connected with as to exactly where this was and were able to find it. The Bible says that they sat down with a group of women who had gathered there. By they way, if we want something done in this church, the women are the ones that make it happen. It is interesting to me that these missionaries go to the place to pray and there are no men there praying. I am sure they were out doing the work of the Lord, right?

I digress, but men, we need to step up and we will talk about this at a later time.

The expectations of finding a place of prayer led to a time of testimony. A worshiper of God named Lydia heard what Paul was saying. The Bible says, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” God opens the heart and the mind to receive His Word. I watched God do this on national TV the other night as Franklin Graham spoke and prayed at the Republican National Convention. He prayed for unity and for the nation to turn to God. Then it prayed, “Our nation is in trouble. We’re divided politically, racially, economically, with millions of people seeking refuge and hope in our dry and thirsty land, You’re the only One who can fix the complexity of the problems that we face today.” —Franklin Graham

No doubt that God will use that prayer to open hearts and draw people into His presence. Lydia was drawn into the presence of God by Paul’s words and she responded by being baptized as a new believer in Christ. She did not open her own heart, God did it! As a result, a person went from religion to relationship. From relationship to partnership. Lydia believes, makes a commitment then follows up that commitment with believer’s baptism. She becomes a devout follower of Christ. Tradition holds that she later used the income from her business to help fund and support Paul’s work in Philippi and throughout the areas of his journeys.

These are beautiful examples of what happens when we partner in Christ with other people.

Partnering with Presence

However, there is another example of partnering with the presence, specifically, the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 14:26

John 14:26 NIV84

26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us and guide us. We simply only need to trust the Holy Spirit.

Trusting the Holy Spirit

Acts 16:6–7 NIV84

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.

Have you ever been kept by the Holy Spirit from going somewhere or doing something? Better yet, what has happened when the Holy Spirit told you not go or do something and you did it anyway? There have been enough times in my life that I was told one thing by the Holy Spirit and did not listen, that I know to listen and obey now, no matter what my desire is!

Truth of the Trinity

We have further assurance in the truth of the Trinity in the phrase in Acts 16:7 that says, “but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” Romans 8:9 is another example.

Romans 8:9 NIV84

9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Scholars use these verses and others to show the relevance and truth of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. What a team we have which with to partner!

Testifying as They Went

Because of the Trinity, the missionaries were able to go testifying as they went.

Acts 16:8–12 NIV84

8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

It was the leadership of the Holy Spirit that took Paul to the place of prayer and his encounter with Lydia that we have already talked of earlier. We see that the Holy Spirit led him and his companions and they were obedient to that partnership.

Partnering with Protection

This also led them to be partnered with protection.

Acts 16:16–17 NIV84

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”

Discernment

Paul was given through the Holy Spirit the gift of discernment. By the way, the Holy Spirit gives us this gift as well. But you might say, “she was saying that these men were servants of the Most High God.” Yes, but let me remind you that that was a phrase used among pagans Jesus encountered. One such time when a demon encountered Jesus, we see the same phrase:

Luke 8:28 NIV84

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!”

Let me just clarify that demonic activity is not just a fairy tale. It is prevalent and very real in our world today. The Holy Spirit with be our partner of protection and deliver us!

Acts 16:18 NIV84

18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

Paul was troubled and in his spirit he knew that she was not of God.

Deliverance

He turns to her and says to her spirit, “In the Name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” There is a lot of theology to unpack in that phrase, “in the Name of Jesus Christ.” I encourage you to come to Wednesday Night as we continue to study Hebrews to show you more!

The deliverance of the evil spirit from this young girl took away the money making opportunity from her owners. This led to a crucial point of deprivation.

Deprivation

Acts 16:19–24 NIV84

19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

This story is quite fascinating to me. We see partnerships with people, a partnership with the presence of the Holy Spirit, and how that partnership leads to protection. But what happens next is most incredible! We see a partnership of the power of Jesus Christ!

Partnering with Power

Acts 16:25–26 NIV84

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

Chain-Breaker

When you pray and sing hymns of praise to God, you get to experience the Chain-Breaker.

Acts 16:27–31 NIV84

27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

The Chain-breaker also becomes the Way-maker.

Way-Maker

The jailer thought his life was over because he had failed. He felt that he was at the end and there was no hope. But the One that broke the chains also provides the Way because He is the WAY, the Truth, and The Life!

Acts 16:32–40 NIV84

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family. 35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” 38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

A Chain-Breaker, a Way-Maker and a Prison-Shaking Savior.

Prison-Shaking Savior

What things have imprisoned you? You have people that partner with you in Christ. You have the presence of the Holy Spirit that gives you protection and power. You have a partnership that supports you and is there for you. You have a Prison-Shaking Savior ready to deliver you! What are you waiting on?