Acts 15:36-41
Acts: The Second Missionary Journey • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 43:58
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Introduction:
If you have your Bibles let me invite you to open with me to the book of Acts chapter 15.
We are now transitioning in the book of Acts to a new section - a section known as Paul’s second missionary journey.
If you are new to our church, or new to the book of Acts.
Allow me to catch you up briefly.
This book is a historical narrative
It is about the beginning of the church after Jesus rose from the dead,
and
its about the missionary movement that followed.
its about the spread the good news that God has provided a way for sinners to be saved.
The book covers over three decades of Christian history
and It begins with Jesus’ final words to his disciples
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.”
The mission is clear.
Tell the world about Jesus with the power that God’s Spirit supplies.
if you have been studying with us from the beginning, I am hoping by now you see why the promise of the Holy Spirit is an important promise.
The spreading of God’s kingdom was not and is not a cake walk.
Jesus did not promise that this would be easy,
He only promised that the power his people would need for the task would be God’s Spirit with them.
They would face all kinds of opposition as they set their eyes on the mission.
They would face persecution - real physical, life threatening, persecution.
They would face the hardships of traveling thousands of miles in the ancient world without the modern luxuries of cars, or planes, or cell phones, or hotels.
They would continually face the uncertainty of their financial position,
the risk of bandits and thieves, storms, and shipwrecks,
They would face the opposition of false teachers and false teachings as we saw earlier in chapter 15,
And as we will see in the text this morning. ,
They would even face the very natural but very real hardship of inter-personal relationships with fellow sinners along the way.
It is to that difficulty that our text speaks to today.
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.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Lets Pray
In my preparation this week, I stumbled across this quote from old an old English preacher in the 1800’s named JC Ryle:
“A zealous man in religion is preeminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, wholehearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies, whether he has health, or whether he has sickness, whether he is rich, or whether he is poor, whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offense, whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish, whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise, whether he gets honor, or whether he gets shame, for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory.” - JC Ryle
I want to be the that kind of man.
The kind of man who knows why he exists,
and what he is on this planet to do.
The kind of man who aims to please his God and cannot be deterred from that priority.
I think the apostle Paul was that kind of man.
He had already sacrificed a lot for the kingdom.
He had labored for the cause of Christ for well over 15 years at this point.
He had helped preach the gospel and plant churches in the regions of Cyprus, Pamphylia, Galatia, and Antioch.
He helped lead the charge of settling a major doctrinal dispute at the Jerusalem council.
And now he labored once again in the city of Antioch.
verse 35 tells us what he has been up to.
35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
This is the great need Paul saw in the world.
The word of the Lord being heard, believed, and obeyed.
And no matter where Paul was, he seems to give himself to this work.
Some might have encouraged Paul to chill out at this point in his life.
Some might have encouraged him to take it easy.
To coast.
He has done a lot.
But he knows why he exists,
and as the church in Antioch was strengthened in the word,
Paul began to think about those new converts and those new churches from his first missionary journey who may or may not be hearing the word rightly divided.
He began to think about those cities, those towns, those peoples who had yet to hear the good news of Jesus….
and through the prompting of the Holy Spirit and through his own holy ambition to steward his life for God’s glory…
Paul approached Barnabas and as we will see he approached the whole church at Antioch about possibly arranging a second missionary journey to preach,
and teach,
and to check on those churches they had helped plant.
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.”
Seems like a good idea.
Barnabas was a trusted friend, and a good co-laborer.
Paul and Barnabas had a robust history of faithful missionary service together.
But sometimes, the difficulty of life and ministry is not the sword of your persecutors,
it can be disagreements among friends.
37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.
38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
There is history here with this disagreement,
and there are some personal dynamics that make the disagreement even more sensitive.
On their previous missionary journey, a man named John Mark joined the team.
Now thats a big deal.
John Mark was likely entrusted with certain responsibilities for the journey
and they selected him for the work for a reason.
5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.
but they didn’t have John for long.
13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem,
Thats all we are told, but there is obviously more to the story.
John must have left for not so good reasons.
Something other than following Jesus led John to abandon Paul and the mission.
Perhaps he got scared.
Perhaps he didn’t fill affirmed because Paul was getting all the teaching opportunities.
Perhaps there was a girl back in Jerusalem he had his eye on.
Whatever the case may be, Paul seems to believe that there was a character issue.
John Mark could not be trusted to put the mission of God first
and to carry out what he had promised to do.
Paul doesn’t slander John Mark here.
We are not told of any bitterness.
We are not told of any un-forgiveness.
We are not told that John Mark was a false teacher of any kind.
We are only told Paul’s position.
Look at verse 38 again.
38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
This is not a matter of doctrine.
This is a matter of practical wisdom.
Paul is prioritizing the Word of God being proclaimed on the second missionary journey.
And Paul thinks its unwise to steward their very limited resources by bringing along someone who abandoned them on the last trip.
The question is not whether John Mark is a Christian or a heretic.
The question is whether he will further the cause of Christ on this trip or hinder it.
Paul thinks he will hinder it and thus it is best that he not go.
Barnabas disagrees.
In fact, it seems that Barnabas passionately disagrees.
This may have been in part to Barnabas’ personal relationship to John Mark.
We find out in a later letter that John Mark was actually Barnabas’ cousin.
He’s family.
You can imagine Barnabas’ argument can’t you?
He’s family
He made a stupid decision last time, but he’s grown.
We should show him the same grace that Jesus as shown us.
You can imagine Paul’s responses:
This isn’t about John Mark getting to experience travel or missionary work.
This is about the work God has called us to do.
John Mark’s forgiven.
I’m sure he’s grown, but that doesn’t make it wise for us to entrust him with this journey.
The text IS clear about this… the disagreement was a sharp one
39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
The disagreement was so sharp that the great duo ministry partners Barnabas and Paul in the end had to go their separate ways.
The Acts narrative goes on to say nothing more of Barnabas and Mark.
We aren’t told whether they continue the work of the ministry in Cyprus
or whether they do their own missionary path.
Their story simply ends in the book of Acts and Paul’s continues..
For Paul, No doubt this was a discouraging turn of events.
No doubt their was a weightiness to the sharp disagreement.
No doubt there may have been some relational hurt.
but where does the narrative go now?
What does Luke want us to see transpire in the aftermath of this event.
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Paul turned to the church in Antioch.
He apparently presented his desire to proclaim the word on a second missionary journey.
He chose Silas as a co-laborer to go with him…,
And the whole church commended him to the grace of the Lord.
In other words, they affirmed his plan,
they encouraged his decision,
they committed to holding the ropes for him while he went on mission once again.
And what is the result?
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
And again next week we will see these words.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
The whole dispute between Paul and Barnabas is only given three verses of attention.
Its not the main storyline.
The main storyline is the mission of God to save people from hell and to establish his church to the ends of the earth.
but, God in his wisdom included this story in our Bibles.
The apostle Luke thought it significant enough to include
and he he thought it important to communicate the event in this way.
The question I want to ask is a question I want to ask of any text of Scripture…. Why?
Why is this recorded?
Why would St. Rose Community Church need to read this?
What does the living and active Spirit of God say to the churches throughout history through this passage in Acts 15.?
Here is my best attempt at some applications I think we can make from this text.
#1 Be Relational And Realistic
#1 Be Relational And Realistic
I am thankful for many stories in the Bible,
because they sometimes normalize our difficult experiences and they prepare our hearts for them.
Paul and Barnabas are both Christians.
They at least appear to be close friends.
They love Jesus.
They seem to love God’s Word.
They seem to love God’s Mission.
Their friendship is highlighted as a positive and powerful thing.
God is a relational God and friendships are his very good idea for his people.
Relationships are an important part of our life and ministry, but they can be hard.
Even with their history, Paul and Barnabas still enter into sharp disagreement.
The Bible very much wants us to be a relational people,
but the Bible very much wants us to be realistic about the difficulties of this in a really broken world.
Relational difficulty is an inevitable reality in a church full of finite people who do not know all things, do not understand all things, and cannot be sinless in all things.
You will never, on this side of heaven, work a job that is absent of relational conflict.
You will never have a family or a marriage, on this side of heaven, that is absent of relational conflict.
You will never join a church and you especially will never faithfully serve a church where you are able to avoid all relational conflict.
In his book Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer so helpfully gives this warning about idealizing Christian community:
“Every human idealized image that is brought into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be broken up so that genuine community can survive. Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest, and sacrificial.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
In other words, if you pursue community while expecting everyone else to be perfect, sinless, the whole endeavor to be free of any difficulties to push through, you yourself will destroy the Christian Community that you say you want to be a part of.
Our relationships are beautiful but they are still part of the sin stricken world we inhabit,
and conflict within them should not derail us from serving the God who saved us and called us to himself and to his ministry.
In fact, the relational mess is part of the ministry he has called us into.
It provides the opportunity for repentance, and forgiveness, and faith.
Now in the case of Paul and Barnabas,
the disagreement was such that it practically could not be reconciled.
the disagreement was such that it effected whether Paul and Barnabas could functionally do this mission together.
Either John Mark was coming or he wasn’t.
The disagreement was not over the gospel message.
It wasn’t that Barnabas or Paul were heretics.
Luke is careful not to disparage either party,
There is no evidence anywhere that Paul spoke badly of Barnabas for his position on this.
There is no evidence anywhere that Barnabas slandered Paul’s character or the value of his ministry because of Paul’s position on this.
In fact the opposite is true.
Years later, Paul even describes John Mark as useful for the ministry in 2 Timothy 4:11.
This disagreement was real
and it was enough for Barnabas and Paul to part ways,
but it apparently wasn’t enough for them to sin against one another.
I do think there is something to learn here.
Even though relational conflict is inevitable.…
there is a way to navigate it that honors the name of the Lord whom we primarily serve.
There is a way in disagreement to be BOTH convictional and Peaceable.
#2 Be Convictional And Peaceable
#2 Be Convictional And Peaceable
Paul did not budge on his position.
As much as Barnabas meant to Paul,
the mission that God had called him to was not to be compromised to please his friend.
We aren’t told explicitly whether Barnabas was in the wrong.
He may have been.
Barnabas does in fact disappear from the scene never to be mentioned in the Acts narrative again.
While Paul’s story continues.
I do think there is a balance being struck here though
that we must try to find while living in Christian community trying to fulfill the mission of God.
It is paramount that we be convictional people.
By convictional I mean, that we act according to the principles of God’s word that are most important.
By convictional I mean, that we are unwavering when it comes to walking out the mission that God has called us to.
That means that I will not compromise on something to please a friend if it means compromising on what I believe pleases the Lord.
I think we need more convictional people, not less.
but being convictional and being a jerk are not the same things.
There is a way to be convictional and peaceable.
I think Paul outlines that the convictional and the peaceable path do not have to be at odds.
I think he outlines this in several places but we can see it clearly in Romans 12.
Listen to this text and imagine a community of people who took ownership and responsibility over themselves in this way.
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Jump down to verse 18.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Paul envisions a people who are zealous, but also a people who do not want to pick a fight with anyone.
A people who are slow to offend or be offended, and quick to try to make peace…
Now none of this instruction from Romans 12 is contradictory to Paul and Barnabas’ decision to part ways.
Paul isn’t being a hypocrite here.
When Paul and Barnabas part ways, Paul seems to be acting on his convictions but as far as we know, he acted peaceably.
This was not a 2024 American presidential debate,
the disagreement appears to be civil without any name calling
or attempts to discredit one another’s character or ministry.
Its presented as a sharp disagreement but a relatively peaceable separation.
We have to be the kind of Christians that are both convictional and peaceable.
If you are not convictional you waste your life trying please people.
If you are not peaceable you will waste your life sinning against people trying to prove that you are right all the time.
be both.
but thats not all
There is another detail in this text that Luke is careful to articulate.
It’s another detail that pushes me slightly toward Paul’s side of this dispute.
As I have said, Barnabas and John Mark disappear from the narrative.
They sail away .
But Paul’s contribution to the story doesn’t miss a beat.
He chooses a new co-laborer and he gets to work.
This episode does not derail him from the very thing that God had called him to do.
He is missionally driven and that was not contingent upon his relationship with Barnabas.
I like how Paul says it in Galatians 1:10.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
There is a difference between being peaceable and a people pleaser.
So Paul chooses a new co-laborer - Silas - so that he can get busy with ministry that God has put before him.
In our lives we are constantly faced with decisions and difficulties.
We are constantly weighing the significance of events or choices.
We filter all our ambitions, anxieties, decisions, and difficulties through a filter of what we think is most important.
When faced with a difficult situation or decision its important that we ask as Christians….
“What path will allow me to serve the Lord, glorify his name, and make disciples in places and opportunities where there is need?”
But with all that missional zeal, Paul is also careful not to act on island.
He didn’t just choose Silas by himself and decide to launch off into the world
Paul does not operate solely depending on own wisdom.
Paul turns to the church in Antioch for their commendation.
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
Why tell us this?
Unless Luke wanted us to know that Paul was not a crazy lone ranger just doing his thing and running off Barnabas and John Mark.
this leads us to our final applications
#3 Be Missional And Congregational
#3 Be Missional And Congregational
The Church at Antioch commended Paul
and they commended Paul’s choice of Silas.
He wasn’t going rogue.
He wasn’t building his own kingdom.
The corporate witness of the church sent him on this missionary journey just as they had sent him before.
And so even in the midst of the relational conflict and the difficulty of that situation and all of Paul’s ambition.
Paul was committed to the Lord’s wisdom through the church.
Be Congregational
Paul’s refusal to bring John Mark along was a matter of what he called wisdom.
But the text suggests that he still seeks the commendation of his church.
This is wisdom.
We should expect difficulty in relationships and as we try to carry out God’s will…,
but we should always question our own wisdom…
we should always be submitting ourselves to the voice of others who might can adjust our self-perspective.
Even missional ambition can be tainted by sinful ambition,
and such a thing is hard to see in yourself.
You need others whom you submit yourself to, to correct you.
Show me someone who never allows anyone to adjust their self-perspective and I will show you a fool.
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
The church is a gift to us so that we never have to operate in the echo chamber of our own opinions…
In Ephesians, Paul says this is what church members do:
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Missionaries should not go to the mission field as lone rangers without the affirmation of others.
Church planters should not plant churches as lone rangers without the affirmation of others.
The Apostle Paul did not launch into the second missionary journey without the commendation of the church.
We should not make massive life decisions without allowing others in to help us process what is wise.
I am so thankful for this church.
One year ago this week actually I was offered a job that would have moved my family to Wake Forest, North Carolina.
It was an awesome opportunity to help direct a global church planting network in a beautiful part of the country, but it would mean leaving the ministry God is doing in this church.
I prayed and I fasted and I wept, and I didn’t have to do it alone.
Our elders walked with me,
close friends walked with me,
and then the whole church committed to three weeks of praying and fasting on my behalf that if this was not the right thing, God might close the door.
And he closed the door.
That was a difficult time in my life.
I didn’t know what was up or down or sideways.
I was a bit of a mess.
But I wasn’t alone,
I was surrounded by people who loved me, wanted what was best for me, and who loved God’s mission so they legitimately took the decision before the throne of grace.
And in the aftermath of that chain of events, God has done so much.
In May 2024, we were weeping and wrestling with what God was doing.
In May 2025 Lord willing, we will be commissioning our first church planting team… something that would not have happened the way that it did, if the Lord had not taken us through that season together.
Let me encourage you this morning, in the midst of the crazy.
#1 Be Relational And Realistic
#2 Be Convictional And Peaceable
#3 Be Missional And Congregational
There is a God in heaven who stands above it all and he uses everything.
It won’t be perfect
It will often be messy,
But God often does his best work through what on the surface appears to be a hot mess.
He accomplished your eternal salvation through the blood, and sweat, and tears, and grief of the cross of Jesus Christ.
In a moment where it seemed chaotic, God was carrying out his plan.
If we can trust him with the salvation of our souls through the mess of crucifixion and resurrection…
We can trust him with the direction of our life together.
Lets Pray
