Pauls Second Mission Trip
Notes
Transcript
So Paul and Silas are going about their second mission trip
They desire to go back to some of those church they planted in Paul's first mission trip
As they are traveling through southern Asia they end up in Derbe and Lystra
Paul meets a young man
1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.
So as Paul is out on mission they come to Derbe and Lystra
A young man who happens to be a disciple of Jesus
A follower of Jesus named Timothy
Timothy has a very positive reputation
Now some background of Timothy is that his mother is a believing Jew and his father is a Greek
Paul desires for Timothy to go with as they continue on with their mission trip
And Paul does something a bit suspicious
He goes and get Timothy physically circumcised
I didn’t want to pass over this because we had just spent about 2 weeks talking how you don’t need to be physically circumcised to be saved and yet before they continue on the mission trip Paul goes and has Timothy physically circumcised
So I had to pause and do some digging
I mean Paul had just argued about you don’t need to get circumcised
In my looking I found a commentary exert
CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 16
Paul circumcised Timothy not because he was caving in to pressure from “believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees” (15:5), but rather to show respect for Jewish law and identity given the fact that Timothy was half-Jewish. If Timothy had remained uncircumcised, it would seem to many Jews that he had rejected not just the Mosaic law but also his Jewish ethnicity
I also think it would have given him some authority to reach Jewish people
They would have seen and understood him
Either way Paul spends a long while discipling Him
I can’t say this enough but church people find someone who is mature in the faith
Attach yourself to them
Spend time with them
Do life with them
See what they are doing in Christ and do that
When I was a young kid I watched the pastor at my grandma’s church who would get out of the pulpit and walk around
I watched my Pastor in Junction City spend time with and disciple people
I watched my pastor in Pittsburg give a state of the church address
I sat with Pastor Gary, he doesn’t like when I call him Pastor Gary but he is my Pastor I sat with Him and he talked about preparing sermons, and the history of the church
I have attached myself to elders and others that have taught me and contniue to teach me
As a believer in Christ you need a Paul, and a Timothy
You need a Paul who will pour into you
Who will spend time with you and encourage to continue to grow
They will also at times when needed call you out on things in your life
Because they love you
Then you need a timothy
As you will see in the New Testament Timothy was someone Paul poured into
Someone you can take aside and begin to disciple
Spend time with
Invite them to do life with you
Pull back the curtain on the struggles you go through and share with them how you walk with Christ
Encourage them to grow in Christ as you yourself grow in Christ
This is what it is to put action to your faith
This is what a Church that runs after Jesus is doing
Find yourself and Paul and a Timothy
There are more but start there
Paul is walking with Jesus
Of course now he has Silas with him and he sees this young man named Timothy
Come on along Timothy and watch how we walk with Jesus
Watch how we do missions
6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
They start on their mission trip
They are not allowed to speak the Gospel message in this region because it is not their time
They end up in Troas
Let me give you the Jesus answer as to why they ended up there
Because God has a plan
MAP
As you can see on the Map where they wanted to go was different from where they ended up
God was at work over here
But they wanted to go over there
At times we have humble ourselves and realize that where we want to be is not where God
I think there are times where we go off on our own or are wondering around and because we have a relationship with Jesus we think God is at work where we are
God was not at work in these areas yet
He didn’t want Paul over there just yet
Because He had plans in this area
Church we have to ensure we are following after God
We have to spend time in prayer about where God is at work
Then when we know were God is at work
We move to that area and join Him
What tends to happen is we like comfort and ease so we say I am going to do this or that
Or because we have always done it this way we will continue
When if we spent time in prayer seeking the Lord and asking Him God what would you have us do
One of the God sized prayers I am praying right now is God what are you doing at Maranatha
God has brought some new people here for a purpose
I am asking God show me what you have for us at Maranatha
Then when we hear from God like Paul and Silas and probably Timothy
We lay aside our own desires and go where He has called us
9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.
If ever there was play book for the church it is Acts
Paul spends sometime in prayer
Hears from God sees a vision of a man calling Him to come over to Macedonia
Wakes up
Realizes and believes God has called them to Macedonia
So they pack up and go over there
They go to Phillipi
Where Paul plants a church
Think of the strategy that goes into going to Philippi and not where they wanted to go
MAP
It is in the opposite direction of where they wanted to Go
However if they truly desire to see people of all nations come to know Christ
Then strategically it makes sense to reach Philippi
Philippi is a Roman colony
a large community of Roman citizens gave them status in the known world
they were an influence on trading because of the gold mines around the city
This was such an important part of missions
Think of it, if we could reach that for Christ
Think of the influence it would have on the rest of the world
Because God had a plan
We see Paul being obedient
14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
They end up in a city called Thyatira
They reach a young lady name Lydia
God was already at work in her life
God was at work here and called Paul to join Him
Had Paul not been obedient to the Lord we would not have seen Lydia reached
We are seeing this play out
Find out where God is at work
Move over there
Join Him in that work
And because they were obedient and join Him in that work in Thyatira
We see people coming to know Christ
Because Paul had reached them and because of his obedience not only was Lydia and her family saved from eternity separated from God
But we know a church begins to grow
To the point
It was one of the churches listed in Revelation
John would later write a letter to the church at Thyatira
It was such an not well known church and probably such an insignificat place and yet God was so at work there
It doesn’t matter the size what does matter is the work of Christ
God was at work there
I can’t up be think maybe this was the start of the church in Thyatira
20 ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 ‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.
And yet later on after the church had been going on for sometime
We see the warning John gives them
It is great to see you growing
But ensure you are growing right
You can have all the programs and love
You need good sound doctrine
You need to ensure you have a church that is preaching and teaching the word of God all of it to grow
When you preach and teach the entire word of God you spend time with God
You start to hear from God
When you start to hear from God you start to see where He has work
It may not be a place but a person at work
Then you are able to move physically to that location place, or to meet that person
Then church you join God in His work
So we must ask ourselves where is God at work
Where is God at work with Maranatha Baptist Fellowship
Where is God at work for you personally
Listen
Then move to that location
Will you move to that location
Will you go to that place where God is at work
Then join Him in that work
Church as we come to our time of invitation
The band is going to come up
Will you join in Him that work
Will you go to that location
Will you ask God where are you at work
Maybe you need to spend sometime in prayer
The alter is open
Maybe you have questions about salvation and a personal relationship with Jesus
There will be someone up front who can speak with you
The alter is open
