Separating and Joining

ME: Intro

As summer is winding down,

I am seeing everyone’s vacation pictures posted on Facebook.

One guy has pictures up at the north pole,

Others are visiting family,

And some went camping or went to the beach.

I know some of you got to travel and go places this summer.

It is so nice getting to travel sometimes isn’t it?

Well, this morning we are going to follow Paul as he begins travelling once again.

But Paul is not seeing the sights,

Relaxing on a beach,

Or taking selfies.

He is on a mission to new places.

This mission is convicting, exciting, and, encouraging.

Along this mission there is both Separating and Joining that occurs.

Slide

First,

Paul & Barnabas Separate (15:36-41)

Timothy & Lydia Join (16:1-15)

A Slave Girl & Demon Separate (16:16-24)

A Jailer & His Family Join (16:25-40)

Whether we are separate or together, we must be united in declaring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

Our passage this morning focuses on the Macedonian portion of Paul’s journey.

Which is the first time the gospel takes root in European soil.

While the lines between Europe and Asia did not exist at this time,

This event was significant, nonetheless.

Because from here,

The gospel would go on to spread throughout Europe,

Which eventually became the missionary hub for the gospel to the rest of the world.

Also along this journey,

Some notable events occurred;

Timothy gets circumcised,

Paul receives a vision,

A woman named Lydia becomes a believer,

An earthquake frees Paul and Silas from jail,

Leading to the jailer and his family also becoming believers.

These events are examples of the gospel’s miraculous power to overcome all obstacles.

Demons, officials, mobs, and prison were powerless against the gospel.

As a result, many came to Christ through both ordinary and extraordinary means.

WE: Paul & Barny Separate (15:36-41)

Before embarking on this journey,

Paul and Barnabas had once again been staying in Antioch.

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That is where the narrative of Paul’s second missionary journey begins.

He seems to carry this sense of responsibility to those he lead to Christ.

So, in vs. 36, he suggests that he and Barnabas go back to visit them,

To see how they were doing and to encourage them.

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In vs. 37,

It says, Barnabas wanted to take his cousin, John Mark, with them for this journey.

But Paul did not think it was the best idea to bring Mark.

In the ESV, it says because Mark had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia.

Other translations say it in a little more direct way.

For example, the CSB says,

Paul insisted that they should not take along Mark because he had deserted them in Pamphylia.

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So, vs. 39 says this led to a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas.

The phrase “sharp disagreement” is translated from a single Greek word,

Paroxysmos.

This word is used only one other time in the NT,

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Hebrews 10:24 (ESV)

And let us consider how to stir up (paroxysmos) one another to love and good works,

At first glance,

These two verses seem to have nothing in common.

But the use of this word shows some type of relationship exists.

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It would be helpful to get the definition of this Greek word:

“The act of stirring up either positive or negative emotions, feelings, and responses.”

Or “a state of intense, emotional turmoil.”

So, the command in Hebrews communicates that this stirring up love and good works elicits strong emotions.

Being spurred toward love and good works is not necessarily comfortable.

In fact, it is implying that we are lacking in love and good works,

So, we need this intense and emotional turmoil to produce love and good works.

By this same word being used in Acts,

It leads us to consider this sharp disagreement as intense and emotional turmoil that produces love and good works.

Unfortunately, my experience has been that more often,

This disagreement is portrayed as a fight between two stubborn men,

Some claiming Paul was right,

While others claiming Barnabas was right.

But the fact that the word translated to sharp disagreement,

Is the same word used in the command to spur love and good works,

Should cause us to question if this is a proper understanding of this disagreement.

And when we take a step back and consider not just this disagreement,

But the history of these two men.

You’ve got Barnabas, the encourager,

Wanting to bring his young cousin along on this missionary journey.

Which turns out to be right,

Because Paul later describes Mark as useful in the ministry.

But at this exact moment,

Paul has been called to be a missionary to the Gentiles.

So, he needed to effectively preach the gospel on this journey,

And because Mark has already proven himself to be a deserter,

Paul was right that Mark would have been a hindrance to his effectiveness.

So, this is like most disagreements,

It is more complicated than one person being definitely right,

And one person being definitely wrong.

In fact, both seem to make the right respective choice.

Because it does not rebuke, correct, or condemn either of them.

This means they both are on the path God has for them.

Paul needed to go on this missionary journey,

God called him to do it,

And he knew Mark was not spiritually mature enough yet.

However, God called Barnabas to be an encourager,

So, he needed to encourage Mark in the faith.

And because this sharp disagreement is defined as a state of intense turmoil,

We can understand that the intense turmoil stems from the reality that God was calling these two beloved men on separate paths,

Not from who was right and who was wrong.

Think about how much these two have been through together.

Barnabas was the one who encouraged Paul to come to Antioch,

To teach the new believers together for a year,

Before getting sent out by the Spirit to go on a two-year long missionary journey,

Where their lives were threatened,

And Paul was nearly killed.

These two guys have spent essentially the same amount of time in ministry with one another,

As Jesus did with His disciples.

So, both men are faithfully going to do the work God has called them to.

Which was emotionally turbulent for them.

Slide

Remember, back in vs. 36, the plan was to visit every town they went to on their first journey.

But after the disagreement in vs. 39,

Paul does not do that.

Why?

Because they still have unity as Barnabas and Mark,

Go to visit the churches on their home island of Cyprus.

While Paul takes Silas to visit the churches along the mainland,

Before venturing further into new and unchurched lands.

So, even though these men were going their separate ways,

They still accomplished their initial goal together.

This interaction is the last time Paul and Barnabas are together in the Bible.

When it comes to disagreements,

Sometimes we may have to handle a situation more like Barnabas and encourage someone.

Other times we may have to handle a situation more like Paul and not allow others to become obstacles to effective ministry.

Unless one or both people are knowingly sinning,

It is not as simple as one person is right and one person is wrong.

And it is not as if disagreements do not happen with people we are close to.

Paul and Barnabas deeply loved one another.

So, remember, in the moment of a disagreement,

We do not know what the future holds,

And what impacts any decisions would have.

But what we do know is that God is sovereign,

That He has a good and perfect and pleasing will,

And if both parties involved have God’s Spirit,

Then we are joined and knit together for all eternity.

So, no matter what disagreements we may have in this world,

God reconciles us with one another forever.

That is why disagreements like this are rare in the NT.

Because unity is the overwhelming emphasis of the NT church.

In fact, it is the most frequently addressed aspect of Christian living in the NT.

So, no matter the disagreement,

It cannot hinder the work of reaching the world with the gospel,

Nor can it threaten the unity of Christ’s people.

From time to time,

Brothers and sisters in Christ may separate as Paul and Barnabas did here.

But we must remain united in our pursuit to advance the gospel!

GOD: Tim, A Macedonian Man, & Lydia (16:1-15)

Slide

As Acts turns to ch. 16,

The narrative follows Paul as he retraces part of his first missionary journey,

Where we meet a young disciple in Lystra named Timothy.

It says in vs. 1 his mom is a Jewish believer and his dad is Greek.

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It seems he was raised more in Greek culture because he was not circumcised as a child.

Nonetheless, Paul saw something in this young man,

Who the other believers spoke highly of.

So, Paul, wanting Timothy to accompany him,

Circumcises Timothy in vs. 3.

Why would Paul do this?

Well, the Jerusalem council was still fresh in his mind,

And he knew they would be ministering to Jews,

So, by circumcising Timothy,

He was removing a potential obstacle.

And Timothy agreed to it.

This was not an infringement on his freedom in Christ,

Paul was not caving to Jewish pressure to follow the law.

Rather, he did this out of respect to unbelieving Jews he intended to reach.

Because if Timothy remained uncircumcised,

Jews would have seen him as rejecting his Jewish identity.

This mutual decision between Paul and Timothy is the start of a precious mentoring relationship that is expressed further in Paul’s letters to Timothy.

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Next, vs. 4 says, they were going through the cities where churches had already been planted,

Teaching them about the decision made in Jerusalem regarding the Gentiles and the law,

Making it clear that the Gentiles needed only to trust in Christ to be saved.

But by having Timothy get circumcised,

He was also demonstrating the heart of the four restrictions James had given,

So as to remove obstacles from their witness.

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Vs. 5 reveals how the decisions made by the Jerusalem council strengthened the faith of the churches,

Growing them daily in numbers.

Because it was now a certainty that Gentile believers were not burdened by keeping the law to be saved.

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Paul’s journey then continued in vs. 6 to Phrygia and Galatia.

This region likely includes Iconium and Pisidian Antioch,

From his first journey.

Then, with no explanation why or how,

Paul was forbidden to speak the Word by the Holy Spirit in Asia.

God does not always forbid this,

Because in ch. 19,

God sends Paul directly to the heart of Asia,

The city of Ephesus.

But at this time,

The Holy Spirit keeps Paul from going to Asia,

In vs. 7, the Spirit of Christ does not allow him to go into Bithynia.

Then in vs. 10, God called him to Macedonia.

This series of verses,

Show all three persons of God leading His servant, Paul.

The Holy Spirit,

Jesus Christ, the Son,

And God the Father,

Are three distinct persons who are mysteriously one God.

We call this mystery the Trinity.

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It is also a mystery how and why God prevented Paul from going to these places.

So, being prevented from going to Asia,

Paul and Silas move northwest in vs. 7,

Passing through Mysia,

Then in vs. 8, they head straight west to Troas,

Which is a seaport located on the coast of the Aegean sea.

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Then, in vs. 9 Paul sees a vision of a man from Macedonia,

Pleading with him to cross over the Aegean Sea to help them in Macedonia.

Macedonia was a Roman province in northern Greece,

Which is part of Europe.

This vision explains at least the reason why God restricted Paul from going to the other places,

Because this is where God planned for him to preach the gospel.

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Which is made clear in vs. 10.

Another interesting thing to note in vs. 10,

Is that here the pronouns change to “we” for the first time in Acts.

Notice it says we sought to go into Macedonia.

Remember, the author of Acts is Luke.

So, Luke was most likely in Troas,

When he joined Paul and Silas for a portion of their missionary journey.

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So, vs. 11-12 essentially summarize the next part of their itinerary;

From Troas,

They set sail straight to the island of Samothrace,

A prominent city that was almost perfectly positioned in the middle of Aegean Sea,

Which was on the way to Macedonia.

Neapolis is the port city for Philippi,

Which is described as a leading city in Macedonia.

Not the capital,

Thessalonica is the capital.

But it is a leading city.

So, we see that Philippi is the location God was calling the apostles to.

Because they remained there for several days.

Philippi was named after Philip II,

The father of Alexander the Great,

Who initially established it as a Greek colony.

But in 167BC it was conquered by Rome.

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This predominately Roman city did not have much Jewish influence.

Back when Jews were dispersed as a result of their exile,

They would establish synagogues in areas where enough Jews were located.

All they needed were ten adult males to form a synagogue.

So, they don’t even have that many in Philippi,

Because vs. 13 shows that only women were gathering near a body of water at a place of prayer.

The apostles seem to know there is no synagogue here,

But they believed there was a place of prayer,

So, they go and meet the Jewish women who were gathered there.

Even when there is no synagogue,

Paul still follows his pattern of going to the Jew first then the Gentile.

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In vs. 14, we are introduced to one of the women listening to the apostles,

Lydia, a God-fearing woman from the city of Thyatira.

Thyatira was known for their wool,

Especially died wool.

Some colors, like purple, were so expensive that people who sold dyed wool,

Were able to specialize in that one expensive color.

That is the case with Lydia.

But she was not only known for her wool.

It also says she was a known worshiper of God.

And she must have been prominent for being singled out as having her heart opened to Paul’s teaching by God.

This is what we call divine illumination.

Because the Bible teaches that our hearts are blinded by sin,

Preventing us from truly seeing the gospel.

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As Jesus taught in John 6:44,

John 6:44 ESV

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

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Or as Paul taught in Rom. 9:16,

Romans 9:16 ESV

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

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and 1 Cor. 2:14,

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

When God calls a person into understanding,

We call this the effectual call of God.

This ensures that all who God chooses to believe will believe.

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After this happened to Lydia,

Vs. 15 says her and her household were baptized.

Throughout the history of God’s people,

He would often save entire family units at the same time.

Acts repeatedly baptizes entire households as evidence of this.

But this also suggests that household baptisms were a standard practice.

After her baptism,

She invites the apostles to come and stay at her house,

If they consider her a believer.

She successfully persuades them,

Demonstrating how immediately upon belief,

She is already serving others by exercising her gift of hospitality.

YOU: Paul & Silas Imprisoned (16:16-24)

It is sad that after Lydia hosts the apostles,

The next portion of the narrative in vs. 16-24,

Tells the story of the apostles getting beaten and imprisoned.

Because they miraculously separated a slave girl and a demon.

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Vs. 16 begins with the apostles on their way to the place of prayer,

When they meet a slave girl with a demon by which she could predict the future.

Because the people in Philippi were so interested in prophecies and a variety of gods,

The owners of this slave girl were able to con people into paying for her to tell them their fortunes.

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Vs. 17 says this woman followed the apostles around, shouting,

“These men are servants of the Most High God!”

Ironically, she was proclaiming the truth about these men.

But she likely didn’t know it,

She could have been referencing Zeus,

Or just saying this title because she heard Jews says it.

Just because her proclamation is true,

Does not mean she actually believes it.

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Vs. 18 says she kept doing this for days!

So, Paul gets greatly annoyed!

It does not say why.

But you could imagine how personally irritating,

And practically distracting from the mission this woman would be!

Paul wants to draw people to the gospel,

And this woman likely repelled people.

Therefore, in the name of Jesus Christ,

Paul specifically addresses the spirit to leave this woman.

And right away, the spirit comes out.

Ironically, through this woman,

The demon declared that Paul serves the Most High God.

So, by expelling the demon in Christ’s name,

Paul is teaching that Jesus is the Most High God who separated the demon from this woman.

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Once the demon was expelled,

This woman was no longer able to be used as a fortune teller.

So, the owners are enraged.

Because they can no longer make money off her.

As a result, they seize Paul and Silas,

And drag them to the authorities in the marketplace.

These authorities are called magistrates or praetor.

They are administrative officials for the Roman Empire,

Granted legal authority in specific cities or domains.

Even though Luke and Timothy are travelling with Paul and Silas,

It is only Paul and Silas who get arrested, why?

It could be,

In part,

Because these two were seen as the leaders.

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But the reason they were arrested is made clear in vs. 20.

These men are disturbing the city,

But even worse, they are Jews!

Luke is a Gentile and Timothy is a half-Gentile.

So, only Paul and Silas were arrested because only Paul and Silas were Jews.

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The formal accusation in vs. 21 is that they are promoting illegal customs,

Supposedly Jewish customs.

So, by only arresting the two Jewish apostles,

And accusing them of this,

The arrest is clearly motivated by ethnic and religious prejudice.

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After the accusation,

Paul and Silas were not even arrested,

They were stripped and beaten by the mob.

Ironically, Paul and Silas have Roman citizenship,

Making the actions of this mob illegal,

Which is what Paul and Silas were accused of.

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After they had been severely beaten,

Paul and Silas were thrown in prison,

With no actual investigation being done.

The jailer was ordered to guard them carefully.

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So, he put them in the inner prison and secured their feet in stocks.

This is an ancient version of a maximum security prison.

These men were treated like the worst kind of criminals.

WE: The Philippians Jailer Believes (16:25-40)

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Yet miraculously, in vs. 25-40,

The Jailer and His Family Join the church.

Despite everything that happened to Paul and Silas,

They are not sad,

They are not angry or bitter,

They are not plotting their escape from prison.

No, they display confidence in God by praying to Him and singing his praises.

Which was a testimony to the other prisoners seeing this.

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While the apostles are praying and singing in the middle of the night,

Vs. 26 says a sudden and violent earthquake shook the foundations of the jail,

Immediately opening all the doors,

And breaking loose everyone’s chains.

Clearly this was an act of God.

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This is the third time in Acts that God’s people were miraculously set free from prison.

When it happened once before,

The guards were sentenced to death for Peter’s escape,

So, here, in vs. 27 when the jailer woke up,

He saw the jail had been opened,

He assumed the prisoners escaped,

And instead of being tortured, imprisoned, or executed,

He was going to kill himself.

But before the jailer can take his life,

Paul commands him in vs. 28, to refrain from harming himself,

Saying they are all here in the prison still.

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So, instead of falling on his sword,

The jailer falls down trembling before Paul and Silas in vs. 29.

Because he knew the earthquake was a supernatural deliverance from God.

So, he escorts Paul and Silas out,

Then, in vs. 30, he asks the most important question:

“What must I do to be saved?”

He was spared from death in the earthquake,

Then he was spared from killing himself,

Now he wants to know how to be spared from God’s judgment.

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In vs. 31, Paul and Silas have a straightforward answer:

Believe in Jesus Christ,

Trust in Him as your Lord and Savior,

Then you and your whole household will be saved.

Again, here is another example of household salvation.

This reinforces how becoming a Christian affects a person’s entire family.

But it is not as if his faith was transferred to his family.

Each person had to trust in Christ on their own.

That is why, in vs. 32, Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to everyone in the house.

Slide

Immediately upon belief,

Paul took the jailer and his family,

And baptized them.

Then, like Lydia earlier,

The jailer immediately begins serving the apostles with the gift of hospitality.

In vs. 34, he brings them into his house,

And sets a meal before them,

All while rejoicing with his household because they believe in God!

His joy is palpable!

The earthquake,

And the escaped prisoners,

Originally seemed like a life-threatening disaster for this jailer,

Ended up being the joyous beginning of his new life in Christ.

So, he, his family, Lydia, and probably even that slave girl,

All became part of the growing church in Philippi,

That was very dear to Paul.

These are the people he addresses in Phil. 1:3,

When he says,

Philippians 1:3 ESV

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

Slide

But the story does not end there.

When the next day came in vs. 35,

The magistrates commanded the police to let the apostles go.

Perhaps they realized they overreacted.

Or maybe they had felt the earthquake during the night,

And heard what happened at the jail.

Either way, this jailer that just got saved,

Likely thinks he is bringing good news of their release to Paul and Silas in vs. 36.

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But in vs. 37,

Paul refuses to let the magistrates sneakily let them out of prison.

He knows the laws that regulate the punishment of Roman citizens.

So, now he brings up how his Roman citizenship made what the magistrates did illegal.

Paul was beaten while never getting a trial,

He never was granted his citizen’s right to appeal to Caesar,

No, he was just thrown into jail.

So, he says,

“Now, these magistrates want us to just go on our way secretly?”

Absolutely not!

Paul is not about to pretend that nothing happened.

So, he tells the jailer that the magistrates have to come to prison themselves and escort Paul and Silas out.

Paul wants them to have to face the reality of what they had done.

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When the police report this to the magistrates,

Understandably, they were concerned.

They were under Roman authority,

It would be known that Paul had his rights as a Roman citizen.

So, even though they were not obligated to escort Paul and Silas out of prison,

They wanted to appease them,

So, they came in person in vs. 39,

And they even apologized before escorting them out.

Then basically begged Paul and Silas to leave Philippi.

Slide

After leaving prison,

They first head back to Lydia’s house in vs. 40.

As a seller of expensive purple wool,

She likely had a decent house.

Therefore, as was the custom for the early church,

The believers seem to be meeting in her house.

What a blessing for this new believer,

To use her gift of hospitality to host the church in Philippi.

So, that is why Paul and Barnabas went their first.

To see their brothers and sisters and encourage them.

Before leaving Philippi,

Just as the magistrates asked.

Before Paul and Silas arrived in Philippi,

There were no believers here,

There was barely even a presence of God’s OT people.

There was likely even a prejudice against the God of Israel.

But now,

By the power of Christ,

There are several members of the church,

Who, prior to knowing Christ,

Likely had no relationship with one another.

But now, they have trusted Christ,

And everything has changed.

In Christ, people from all types of backgrounds become united as a spiritual family.

That is what God has done with the church in Philippi,

And continues to do with His church globally.

Slide

On that note, let us close this morning with a few applications.

First, don’t think you have to wait for your vision.

Many people have equated Paul’s vision of the man from Macedonia,

As his specific call to missions.

Therefore, we wrongly think that we have to wait for a vision from God for our call to our specific ministry.

But that is not the case.

Paul had already spent a year teaching in Antioch,

Two years as a missionary with Barnabas,

And was already in the middle of his second missionary journey when he saw the vision.

He was not just sitting at home,

Twiddling his thumbs,

Waiting for God to speak to him in some supernatural way.

The reality is, most, if not all, of us will never experience a vision like this,

And most of Paul’s ministry was not directed by visions like this.

God has already given us our mission go and make disciples.

So, do not sit around waiting for supernatural intervention to go do it.

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Second, being a witness of Christ is not limited to what we say,

But also includes how we live.

The way we live reveals whats in our hearts.

The way we speak to people,

The way we cope with trials,

The way we interact with others every day will leave an impression.

But, without being a verbal witness of Christ,

The way we live remains undefined to people.

The problem is that most of us struggle at being both.

But being a witness of Christ requires both word and deed,

We cannot have one without the other and be a faithful witness of Christ.

If we proclaim Christ but the way we live does not line up with what we proclaim,

Then we our being a hypocrite.

This does not mean we live perfectly,

Because the gospel is all about God using imperfect people to share His perfect Word.

But that cannot be an excuse for consistently living in un-Christlike ways.

On the other end,

We cannot live like Christ and never give Him the glory for it,

Then the world will not know it is Christ living in us.

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Third, we must learn how to apply the NT teaching of the relationship between Christians and government to our specific context.

What I mean by that is not all political contexts are equally just.

Therefore, the way we relate to the government in one context as Christians,

Will not be exactly the same as the way Christians relate to their government in other contexts.

The general rule of thumb is that we are to submit to our governments,

Except when submitting causes us to disobey Christ.

We must be careful not to claim persecution when we are actually just getting into trouble for being foolish.

But we must also be willing to take stands,

And exercise rights if applicable,

For the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.

This is difficult for us!

It takes a sensitivity to the Spirit to discern when to stand and when to submit.

And we are unlikely going to get it right all the time.

But it is important we understand that there is not only one way for Christians to relate to government.

For example, we cannot assume that only true Christians are republicans.

This application is helpful for how we relate to our government.

But at the same time,

Acts is not written as a guide for how Christians take political action.

The focus of the early church is not on subverting the government.

In fact, most often, the church is willing to submit to it,

Except when the gospel is at stake.

At the same time,

Despite being a Roman citizen,

Paul’s focus is not on what his actions mean for the Roman Empire.

No, Paul, and the early church, are focused on the gospel spreading to the ends of the earth.

Our political context has a place in human history,

But the gospel will outlast human history for all eternity.

So, the church must be the most united entity this world will ever see.

Even if some of us are sent on separate paths.

Slide

It is an unspeakable privilege that we have heard and trusted the gospel.

It is a wonderful joy to participate in this same mission of making disciples to the ends of the earth.

So, as we seek to do our part in the mission,

Let us seek God for guidance,

Let us trust in God’s power,

And whether we are separate or together,

Let us be united in declaring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

Pray.