Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Good Morning, welcome to hbc, my name is Pastor Junior and I’m the Assistant Pastor here of discipleship.

If you need a copy of God’s Word/Bible, and or a Sermon outline you can raise your hands and our lovely hard working Ushers will get on into your hands.

Let me just recap for a little bit just to give you some context as to where we are.

Last week Pas Al spoke from , where Paul and Barnabas, the bible says “had a sharp disagreement”, and we saw how that was handled, but amidst their disagreement God was still building His Church.

One thing we can learn is that God changes His workmen, but His work goes right on.

God changes His workmen, but His work goes right on

So we pick up today in .

This is the beginning of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey.

In his first Journey he planted and supported Churches in these areas: [Show Map 1]

So we pick up today in .

This is Paul’s 2nd missionary journey.

In his first Journey he planted and supported Churches in these areas:

As you can see they departed from Antioch, through Seleucia, preached through the Island of Cyprus, over to Perga, up to Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and back through Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch, then Attalia, then finally back to Antioch.

They did this in approximately 2 years.

Today as they begin their 2nd missionary Journey, Paul and some new team members covers this entire span, strengthening the Churches, and planting new ones.

[Show Map 2]

You must remember that they were without all of the agencies we have at our disposal today!

Cars, planes, internet, sound system, and freedom to speak God’s word without restrictions.

I say this to say, that all that the Apostles accomplished was humanly impossible.

Impossible!

They could never have done it apart from the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

But think of this; how did they have such a large impact with so little, and we have so little impact with so much?

They trusted in the Power of God the Holy Spirit to accomplish his work using their gifts, their resources, and their sacrifice for His glory and the good of the Church.

I praise God for all he has blessed us with, state of the art sound system, technological resources, our personal transport etc.

These things are great!

But they can be more of a hindrance than a tool if the Holy Spirit can’t use them to build His Church.

Big Idea: We are the instrument God uses to build his church, our usefulness, and effectiveness is dependent on our reliance on the Holy Spirit to do his work through us.

So as we look into Chapter 16 today, we will see how God the Holy Spirit equipped, supplied, encouraged, guided and fortified the building of His Church, and what we must do to ensure the continuity of God’s work.

Point number 1

1.

Trust the Holy Spirit to Make you a Discipler

1. Paul 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.

Paul 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.

2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

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.

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.

2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

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.

The Holy Spirit now introduces Timothy to Paul, recognizing that the work that Paul must accomplish cannot be done by Paul and Silas alone.

He would need to raise up more disciples who would in turn become discipler of others.

Look at how he does this - He assesses Timothy’s background:

His family history - VS. 1

His Reputation - VS. 2

And any other hindrances to the gospel - VS. 3

Now this puzzled me a bit this week right.

You remember back in Chapter 15 what was happening with the Jews?

They were saying that in order for the gentiles to be recognized as Christians they had to get what?

Circumcised! .

Then who stood up and spoke on their behalf?

Paul and Barnabas!

They went up to the Jerusalem council and the other apostles sided with them, making this conclusion: to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood

So how is it now that Paul is circumcising Timothy?

Here’s what I found out: Remember that in every place Paul went, the first part of town he headed for was the Synagogues.

The jewish worship centers.

And so to take Timothy into that setting would be a hindrance to the gospel.

The text makes it clear that it was because of the Jews who were in those places, that he Circumcised Timothy, because the jews knowing that Timothy was had a greek father would have objected to giving Timothy and even Paul a listening ear in any of the Synagogues.

The spreading of the gospel was too important to allow a simple jewish practice to stand in its way.

Notice with this, He is not telling Timothy he has to be circumcised to be a Christian, but circumcision, would certainly give them the opportunity to share Christ with both jews & gentile.

The text makes it clear that it was because of the Jews who were in those places.

The jews knew that Timothy was had a greek father would have objected to giving Timothy and even Paul a listening ear in any of the Synagogues.

The spreading of the gospel was too important to allow a simple jewish practice to stand in its way.

Paul’s heart is captured in this thought “By opening a door to the gentile Christians, it did not mean closing the door to the Jewish Christians”.

God’s wish is that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance

The jews knew that Timothy was had a greek father would have objected to giving Timothy and even Paul a listening ear in any of the Synagogues.

The spreading of the gospel was too important to allow a simple jewish practice to stand in its way.

Paul’s heart is captured in this thought “By opening a door to the gentile Christians, it did not mean closing the door to the Jewish Christians”.

God’s wish is that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance

Paul’s heart was captured in this thought “By opening a door to the gentile Christians, it did not mean closing the door to the Jewish Christians”.

God’s wish is that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance

What do we learn here?

The spreading of the gospel is more important than any of our personal goals and aspirations.

Some of us adjust our lives to go to our jobs, or a school, to live with the person we love.

Have you ever considered adjusting your life for the sake of the gospel?

Adjust your schedule to host or be a part of a small group?

Change your job so you can have more time for ministry?

Devote 1 hour of your day to learning to evangelize to your neighbor or coworker?

The spreading of the gospel is more important than any of our personal goals and aspirations.

So in making disciples Paul checks out Timothy’s background:

So in making disciples he checks out Timothy’s background:

His family history - VS. 1

His Reputation - VS. 2

And any other hindrances to the gospel - VS. 3

Verse 4

He trains Timothy VS. 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.

It does not say Paul delivered to them, it says they, Timothy included.

And so out of there collected effort, Luke by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says

Paul’s approach seemed to have been

ACTS 16:1

5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

My entry into sg ministry.

as the leader of our sg ministry here, i praise God for all of our sg leaders and members, the hosting in your homes, the writing of sg studies, the preparation of snacks, the follow up with members, even to the point where you feel like you have to beg persons to want to grow in their walk with Christ.

It’s a sacrifice but it’s a biblical mandate.

Be encouraged.

The Bible says in 1 cor 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

You continue to plant, and the Holy Spirit will bring the increase.