The Journey of Life

Sermon Text: Acts 15:36-16:40

Intro

Hook: *be engaging*

Context:

Thesis:

Body

MP#1 (scripture, exposition, story)

Assertion

Evidence

Commentary

MP#2 *use anecdotes!*

Assertion

Evidence

Commentary

MP#3

Assertion

Evidence

Commentary

Conclusion

Restate

Review

Reflect / Apply

Introduction

Hook: How much does a ____ cost? Donut (is it worth…), donkey($1500, is it worth...), diamond ($5000 for 1 carat), destination trip to mars ($500k… is it worth the cost) … Is it worth the cost? now a little more on the serious side… How much does your life cost? Is your life for sale? For what would you give your life? Each of us give our lives, are paying people with the currency of our lives for something. “I’ll give you my life,” is a common saying you might hear. And to an extent, we each give our lives to our school, our jobs, our friends. Life is breath, conscience, opportunity, spirit. Life is a gift from the Lord. How are you using it? What do you live for, or in other words, to what are you giving your life? And is what youre living for worth the cost? After all, you’re giving your life for it. The cost of a life for Christ is the only life worth living. A life for Christ includes school, jobs, friends, but living for Christ is not just something you do, it affects everything you do because it changes your identity. When you stop living for others and start living for Christ, your identity changes, and you become a Christian.

Context: Acts 1 (They have a Helper, a direction, and a team) Now the team has changed a lot. Many people have been added to those original eleven, which became 120, and now has grown into an international movement. And Luke, the writer of Acts, focuses the story now on Paul and his companions. For the First Missionary Journey, Paul and Barnabas went together to share the Gospel to the surrounding regions. Tonight, we will see how the journey continues in the Second Missionary Journey.

God speaks through Paul. He uses a human to deliver his message. It was not Paul’s message, but God’s. It is the saving initiative of God that brought the Gospel to Europe (Macedonia). This saving initiative is contagious. The Gospel spreads like the butterfly/ripple effect.

Thesis: The disciples knew that their lives were meaningful. They knew that they only had so much time to give their lives to a worthy cause. And so they gave their lives to Christ, to be used by Christ and to do God’s will. And Luke focuses on one specific team of people who have given their lives to Christ.

Pray.

Let’s look at this team.

36-41; 1-5 The Team Changes.

What was God’s purpose in separating Paul and Barnabas? Doubling the spread. Does God work through ministry splits? Yes. He carries forth his truth (His kingdom shall prevail, will not fail; Christ will build His kingdom).

What kind of team will Paul need to continue the journey? It’s a second missionary journey. What’s the purpose for the journey? Paul wants those who are well spoken of. One that is all things to all people, laying down freedoms for the sake of others’ consciences.

Their journey needed a unified team.

6-15 The Team Goes.

to Macedonia (in the district of Macedonia, there was a leading city, a prominent city called Philippi)

Purple Seller (Lydia) - explain

Pythoness (Slave girl) - explain

Praetors (Magistrates) - explain

Prison Guard (Jailer) - explain

Where is the Gospel need? Man makes his plans; but the Lord determines his steps.

Their journey involved evangelism.

16-40 The Team Suffers.

On the way to the purple seller, yet interrupted by the pythoness, at the hands of the praetors, and under the watch of the prison guard… the disciples

They suffer spiritual warfare, lies, beatings, imprisonment, embarrassment…

The team suffers, but the mission doesn’t

Their journey involved suffering. Sometimes God leads us places that involve suffering.

Conclusion

What is it all for? As we look deeper into the sufferings of the apostles/disciples, was it really worth the risk?

The Message of Acts c. The Roman Gaoler (16:19–40)

Paul and Silas at about midnight were praying and singing hymns to God. Not groans but songs came from their mouths. Instead of cursing men, they blessed God. No wonder the other prisoners were listening to them (25).