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Review: Last week we looked at how the Jerusalem council handled conflict surrounding what constitutes salvation; and they arrived on the decision that it was the same for Jews and Gentiles, alike, that it’s by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, nothing else. They came to a solid determination of what salvation is. Peter showed fruit of salvation’s work in his own life when he engaged this conflict in a way that nurtured unity and he demonstrated salvation by his own testimony with Cornelius and the Gentile believers. They shared their decision on salvation with the other believers in an organized and clear manner. They then sent their delegation with the Good News, and they carried out their task relationally, factually, and joyfully.
Text: Acts 15:39-16:10
Title: Kingdom Work
Memory Verse: Acts 16:5, “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”
Theme: Believers must stay focused on God’s purposes.
Introduction:
In this week’s lesson we see that Right before Paul and Barnabas’s second missionary journey there was a dispute over who could go and who would have to stay back. Barnabas wanted John mark to go, but Paul felt he was not ready. So, they divided the regions up with Barnabas and John mark going one way and Paul and Silas going the other. Despite the dispute, Paul didn’t look back on the laurels of his first missionary journey and decide to kick back, hang it up, and take it easy. He was laser-focused always on making disciples and multiplying new groups of believers and new churches. Paul never retired from multiplication. This second missionary journey was noted with sudden changes in plans, and these changes and transitions didn’t disrupt Paul’s focus.
Have you ever had a painful disagreement with another brother or sister in Christ and hurtful words were even said? Living with Christ-centered purpose mitigates me-centered pettiness.
Opening Discussion Question: Lifeway’s “Acts 13-28 Leader Guide” asks, “Which do you find harder—disagreements with a stranger or with a close friend, and why?”
Answer: The friend’s words hurt more because you have a closer relationship with them than the stranger.
Context:
The passage shifts to Paul’s 2nd missionary journey. Paul didn’t want John mark to go, because he had left prematurely on the first journey. They divided forces Paul and Silas going to Asia minor and Barnabas and John mark headed for Cyprus. Armed with the letter on the Jerusalem’s decision on salvation, God transformed the negative disagreement into reaching more people. In Lystra Paul reconnected with the church and to dear friends, Lois and Eunice, the grandmother and mother of the young and much respected Timothy. Paul—wanting to add him to the missionary team—knew Timothy had a Greek father and Jewish mother, which equipped him to reach a wide range of people; but Paul felt he’d have more success with the Jews if he was circumcised first. Paul knew Timothy would have to make some sacrifices to reach people in their Jewish contexts. Paul’s plans were redirected by the Holy Spirit from initially heading deeper into Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), specifically Bythinia, to go to Macedonia and Greece.
Main Points:
(Theme) Living with Christ-centered purpose mitigates me-centered pettiness.
I. Disagreement (Acts 15:39-41)
II. Discipleship (Acts 16:1-5)
III. Detours (Acts 16:6-7)
IV. Direction (Acts 16:8-10)
Lesson:
(Theme) Living with Christ-centered purpose mitigates me-centered pettiness.
For Paul’s missionary journey to go according to God’s plans and not his pre-determined plans, God will require a lot of Holy Spirit-enabled flexibility on Paul’s part.
I. Disagreement (Acts 15:39-41)
A. Disagreement’s people (v. 39)
“39 And there arose a sharp disagreement so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,”
• “Sharp” doesn’t mean angry.
• There was a clear difference in opinions, however.
• Scholars say John Mark was Barnabas’s cousin.
• Barnabas had hope that John Mark to not abandon them this time, as he had done the last mission trip.
Acts 13:13, “13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem,”
• They ultimately decided it was best to divide and conquer.
B. Disagreement’s parting (v. 40)
“40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.”
• Silas was well-proven and well-qualified for the mission trip.
• He was one of the two delegates sent from the Jerusalem Council with the final word on salvation to the church at Antioch.
• In Acts 16:37-40, we find out that –helpfully was also a Roman citizen.
• Their parting was amicable and in fellowship.
C. Disagreement’s purpose (v. 41)
“41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
• The Greek here means They added to a strength that already existed. These strong churches needed to grow stronger.
Illustration: Maybe you can think of a time in your own life when a disagreement arose among the people of God and you ended up temporarily agreeing to part ways to better advance God’s kingdom purposes; you agreed to disagree and keep building God’s kingdom.
The work of Christ in the gospel: This lesson points us to Christ and the gospel when we think of how he willingly left heaven, parted with His comfortable heavenly realm to come to this earth to reach such disagreeable sinners like us in order to save us and allow us the privilege of joining in His work. Philippians 2:5-8, “5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Application:
Zooming back into our immediate story in Acts, we see that…
• Disagreements and conflicts will arise, and we can learn from/”take a cue” from the people it involved: Paul, Silas, Barnabas, and John Mark.
• Interestingly enough, even though they temporarily parted ways into two mission journey teams, they were unified in purpose: (1) Share the news of the Jerusalem Council on salvation; (2) Strengthen the churches; (3) Soul-winning along the way.
*Discussion: Why is unity important for the ministry of the gospel?
Transition: (Theme) Living with Christ-centered purpose mitigates me-centered pettiness. First, we see (I.) Disagreement. Second, (II.) we see,
II. Discipleship (Acts 16:1-5)
A. Discipleship starts (v. 1)
“1Paul[a] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.”
• You remember Lystra, the primarily Greek city; it’s the city where the Jewish mob came and stirred everyone up and they stoned Paul, and he got right back up and went back into the city to win many of them to Christ.
• We are introduced to Timothy. Many scholars believe his Grandmother and mother were some of those first people Paul won to Christ after his stoning and return into the city.
• This is how discipleship first started to take place in Timothy’s life.
B. Discipleship substantiated (v. 2)
“2 He was well spoken of by the brothers[b] at Lystra and Iconium.”
• He had a good testimony.
• He was well respected.
• Paul might have seen his Jewish Mother and Greek father’s investment in him and his origins and saw potential in him for the advancement of the gospel to a wide range of audiences.
• The reality of Timothy being a true disciple of Jesus Christ was substantiated by others who watched his life.
C. Discipleship sacrifices (v. 3)
“3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”
• This is interesting. Paul wants to bring Timothy along and requires that he be circumcised. The Mosaic law regarded him as Jewish by his Jewish Mother and to be accepted had to be circumcised, even though his father was Gentile/Greek. Paul saw his circumcision, not as a legalistic requirement of the gospel, but as necessary to open up conversations with the Jewish audiences they would encounter.
• As a disciple who wanted to reach others with the gospel, Timothy was willing to sacrifice an aspect of his own life for the good of others.
D. Discipleship strengthens (v. 4)
“4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”
• They share the Jerusalem Council’s decision on salvation and build up the churches, and more disciples are added to the churches they visit.
• Timothy strengthened the mission team by joining Paul in strengthening the churches.
Illustration and Application: Think back on how you becoming a follower/a disciple of Jesus first started and how you have seen God substantiate the reality of your salvation in your outward witness before others. Think back on sacrifices you have personally made (volunteering, serving, giving up an old sin habit) and how God has blessed those small sacrifices to strengthen others in their walk with God and see others become disciples.
Truly,
Transition: (Theme) Living with Christ-centered purpose mitigates me-centered pettiness. We see this first in how the disagreement was handled, second in Timothy’s discipleship, third (III.),
III. Detours (Acts 16:6-7)
A. Detours adjust our plans (v. 6)
“6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”
• They were moving along the Mediterranean coast and now shift north west.
• They travelled hundreds of miles on foot.
• The Holy Spirit wants them to not share the gospel in Asia here (not modern day Asia, but potentially a Roman territory).
B. Detours accomplish God’s plans (v. 7)
“7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.”
• Once again the Holy Spirit sends them on another detour where they were not allowed to share the gospel in these locations. While it wasn’t Paul who preached the gospel here, (I Peter 1:1 sends them greetings, which reveals someone else was given gospel fruitfulness there.
• The phrasing used by Dr. Luke in his writing here is “the Spirit of Jesus” meaning the work of building God’s kingdom on earth is the work of Christ by His Holy Spirit. Their work is one and the same, as Jesus indicated in John 16:13.
Illustration: Have you ever seen God change your plans, and he ended up guiding you into something better?
Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is the doctrine of God.
Lifeway says, “The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being” (p. 64). They reference Matthew 3:16-17, “16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,[a] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,[b] with whom I am well pleased.” And they reference Matthew 28:19, “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit[.]”
Wayne Grudem says, “The evidence that God exists is of course found throughout the Bible. In fact, the Bible everywhere assumes that God exists. The first verse of Genesis does not present evidence for the existence of God but begins immediately to tell us what [H]e has done; ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ If we are convinced that the Bible is true, then we know from the Bible not only that God exists but also very much about [H]is nature and [H]is acts” (Systematic Theology, p. 142).
Application: Sometimes God sends us on detours and it requires flexibility, and He gives gospel fruitfulness to someone else in that area, and that’s ok. His detours should be our delight.
Transition: (Theme) Living with Christ-centered purpose mitigates me-centered pettiness. We see this play out in Disagreements handled in a Godly manner, Discipleship accomplished in sacrificial service, and detours that adjust our plans and accomplish God’s plans, and fourthly (IV.),
IV. Direction (Acts 16:8-10)
A. Direction is initiated (vv. 8-9)
- In the meantime… (v. 8)
“8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.”
• Logically this was a good spot for ministry.
• It was a major Roman colony, the harbor town of Macedonia which was the link to the west (Europe) and the east (Asia).
Application: This verse seems to hold Paul’s team in a holding pattern, kind of circling the airport for the right time to land; it’s a waiting season. Much of the Christian life is lived here, and it’s a key time to be aware that God is at work and we need to wait patiently and honor God.
• But God had other plans that would be revealed. - The Macedonian vision (v. 9)
“9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
• God gave them direction through this Macedonian vision of a man begging and pleading with Paul for help, to bring the gospel to them.
• Suddenly here was an open door where before they had a string of closed doors.
B. Direction’s immediacy (v. 10)
“10 And when Paul[c] had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
• Luke says “We” here indicating that at least in this section of the missionary journey he was with them.
• Notice, also, their response to the vision was immediate (eutheos). They quickly obeyed the call to go do God’s work in Macedonia.
Conclusion: (Theme) Living with Christ-centered purpose mitigates me-centered pettiness. Years later Paul—rather than discounting John Mark for service to God would say in II Timothy 4:11b, “…Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” I hope years down the road it will be said of you and me that we are and were “very useful” in living with Christ-centered purpose. But it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process of daily dying to me-centered pettiness. We see God accomplishing this in the midst of (I.) disagreements, in times of fruitful (II.) discipleship, times of (III.) detours and waiting for what’s next, and in those exciting times of clear (IV.) direction and new ministry opportunities.
General Outline:
Text: Acts 15:39-16:10
Title: Kingdom Work
Memory Verse: Acts 16:5, “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”
Theme: Believers must stay focused on God’s purposes.
Living with Christ-centered purpose mitigates me-centered pettiness.
Opening Discussion Question: Lifeway’s “Acts 13-28 Leader Guide” asks, “Which do you find harder—disagreements with a stranger or with a close friend, and why?”
I. Disagreement (Acts 15:39-41)
A. Disagreement’s people (v. 39)
B. Disagreement’s parting (v. 40)
C. Disagreement’s purpose (v. 41)
The work of Christ in the Gospel
II. Discipleship (Acts 16:1-5)
A. Discipleship starts (v. 1)
B. Discipleship substantiated (v. 2)
C. Discipleship sacrifices (v. 3)
D. Discipleship strengthens (v. 4)
III. Detours (Acts 16:6-7)
A. Detours adjust our plans (v. 6)
B. Detours accomplish God’s plans (v. 7)
Doctrine: God
IV. Direction (Acts 16:8-10)
A. Direction is initiated (vv. 8-9)
- In the meantime… (v. 8)
- The Macedonian vision (v. 9)
B. Direction’s immediacy (v. 10)
II Timothy 4:11b, “…Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.”
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Caleb Walker 
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