Sermon Tone Analysis

Public Reading of Scripture

Pray

Introduction to Theme

God sends, God empowers, God directs and guides.

But what do you do when you believe that, but you don’t feel that?

What do you do when God’s guidance is unrecognizable?

When you aren’t clear on where to go next?

Or how to do what you believe God has called you to do?

God does not always guide us in ways we would prefer.

If it were up to us, we would have God speak to us in visions of angels with clear instructions, to know the outcome and how to get there.

But God sometimes guides through a process.

A process can be frustrating — a process doesn’t provide answers before their time.

A process will force us to trust God in the midst of the unknown.

God guides Paul through a process to the places where he needs to be but it is not an easy process.

Introduction to Text

After God had led the church to resolve an important theological question about salvation in a way that brought joy and peace to the church - in a way that didn’t put any greater burdens on Gentiles who wanted to follow Jesus — Paul himself becomes entangled in what the Bible calls a “sharp disagreement” with Barnabas.

This intense argument is not over a difference in doctrine, but a difference in partnerships.

Paul wanted to visit the churches in every city where he and Barnabas had proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they were (15:36).

Barnabas wanted to take John called Mark with them.

But Paul said “No” because John had left them in their earlier travels and had not gone with them to the work (15:38).

In Acts 15 the church as a whole has to work through disagreement, and now on an individual level Paul and Barnabas must do the same.

Their disagreement becomes so severe that they separate.

They part ways.

Barnabas takes John called Mark with him to Cyprus, and Paul takes Silas with him through Syria and Cilicia.

On a human level, there is nothing good about this disagreement and separation.

But God redeemed it, by creating two missionary teams instead of just one (Keener).

It is yet another reminder that God is in control of all things and can redeem what seems unredeemable and can bring something good out of something bad.

As Paul and Silas travel, they come to Derbe and Lystra where they meet a disciple named Timothy.

Timothy has a Jewish mother, but a Greek father.

He is well spoken of by the brothers there and Paul wants Timothy to accompany him.

In Timothy, Paul finds someone to invest in, and to train up in ministry.

After all the debate about whether or not circumcision is required of Gentiles, and it was decided that it is not — Paul circumcises Timothy — not because it is a requirement for salvation, but for the sake of his ability to minister among the Jews, who knew Timothy’s father was a Greek.

Paul prevents what would have been a barrier for Timothy’s ministry.

But that was no easy undertaking for Timothy.

It was a painful part of a process to prepare him for what lies ahead.

This group visits the churches and finds them being strengthened and growing in numbers daily.

Another reminder of God’s approval and blessing the churches.

I. Acts 16:6

Then Paul, Silas and Timothy want to go on to Asia — To continue carrying the gospel of Jesus Christ to places it has not yet been.

To witness for Jesus to those who do not know him!

Paul thinks strategically.

If he travels to important cities with a diversity of people — intersections of government, travel and trade — then the message of Jesus can be planted in a place where the gospel can naturally be exposed to a greater number of peoples and cultures and lands.

That city will become a launching point for gospel advancement.

Asia has a capital that is such a strategic city, and Paul wants to preach the word there.

The capital of Asia is a port city called Ephesus (NIVAC, 433).

Perhaps they might go and plant a church there?

And minister to the Ephesians?

And tell them:

That was Paul’s intention.

That was Paul’s plan.

That was Paul’s timeline.

That is what Paul wanted to do, and it was within the scope of God’s purpose for him.

It was a plan that agreed with God’s calling on his life.

Jesus set Paul apart to be an ambassador for His name to the Gentiles.

A “chosen instrument” of Christ for this very purpose!

(Acts 9:15).

And Ephesus is one of those important Gentile cities! Ephesus needs to know Jesus!

But Paul and his company encounter resistance.

It’s not a resistance of persecution.

It’s not threats on their lives.

It’s not armies or mobs.

Instead, the one standing in their way, preventing them from doing what God had called them to do, was none other than God Himself!

Notice carefully that the Holy Spirit did not prevent them from going to Asia, but in a more puzzling way, the Holy Spirit forbids them specifically from speaking the word in Asia.

How frustrating!

To literally have their plans frustrated!

To be kept — by God — from doing what they were set apart and sent out to do — by God!

If you look closely at the text, you’ll notice that “having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit” implies that they tried to go to Asia.

But it became clear that the Holy Spirit would not have them to go there.

There is no indication of how the Holy Spirit prevented them from speaking the word in Asia.

Already, Acts has recorded the Spirit as speaking but here it doesn’t say the Spirit spoke.

There is no clear message of instruction.

No details are given!

And this adds to the frustration as readers because we want to know that when God guides us, it will be with clear directions.

We want to know that God won’t waste our time and efforts in ministry — that God will save us from wasted energies.

But it may very well be, that God prevented them from speaking the word in Asia by frustrating their plans and attempts to go to Asia in the first place!

It could be that every time they turned to travel there, God made them sick, or an emergency arose, and they simply could not go.

After all, what would it take to stop the apostle Paul from proclaiming the gospel?

He wasn’t swayed by threats or persecution or certain opposition.

Surely he knew the kind of resistance that awaited him — why else would he have been so adamant with Barnabas that Mark not go with them because Mark already had a history of quitting.

Mark quit before Iconium where an attempt was made to stone Paul and Barnabas.

Mark quit before Lystra where Paul was stoned and left for dead.

Is God contradicting Himself in all of this?

Didn’t Jesus say “you will be my witnesses …to the end of the earth?” (Acts 1:8) Doesn’t that mean that all the earth is fair game for gospel proclamation?

If so, then what is the Holy Spirit of God doing by preventing them from speaking the word in Asia?

God is the One who removes barriers to gospel advancement, not One who stands in the way of it!

When the disciples prevented children from coming to Jesus, Jesus said “Do not hinder them” (Mt 19:14).

When the disciples saw someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name and tried to stop him from doing it because he was not following with them, Jesus said “Do not stop him” (Mk 9:39).

When someone takes your cloak, Jesus said do not withhold your tunic either (Lk 6:29).

But here is the Holy Spirit preventing, hindering, even forbidding them from speaking the word in Asia.

So verse 6 says they “went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.”

That word “went through” or “travelled through” implies “extensive and thorough movement throughout an area— ‘to journey all through.’”

(LN).

They are exhausting what options they have left.

Their plan has been upended.

In a way, they are wondering aimlessly, but yet making the most of what opportunities are before them.

II.Acts 16:7-8

With their first plan and attempt into Asia — God stopped them.

Now, with their second plan and attempt to go into Bithynia — God stopped them again!

This time, the Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of Jesus” so that we as hearers know that this preventing work is the work of the same Jesus who called Paul to this work!

What are you doing, Lord?