 Let's begin reading here in chapter 15 at verse 33. We'll read to verse 35 I'll give you basic introduction and we'll move into our study We're looking at today as the way the Spirit is leading in ministry We have two different examples of that. We'll see that in chapter 15 as well as chapter 16 So beginning at verse 33 reading to verse 35 Luke writes after they had stayed there for a time They were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also and So as we've been looking at the book of Acts especially in our recent studies We've noticed that Paul and Barnabas have been dealing with something. That's a very serious threat to the church And this was such an important subject because it it related to the grace of God in salvation You see as we've seen already there were Jewish people who were what would be called legalists who were adding works to the grace of God They were teaching that circumcision and obeying the law of Moses was necessary in order for somebody to be saved And what they were doing is they were undermining God's loving grace in salvation now Over the years of the history of the church from the beginning of the church to today There have been various doctrines that have been referred to as essentials of the faith When a when you speak of something as being an essential it simply means that it's something that is necessary to believe in order to be saved So they would include things like the authority of scripture the trinity the virgin birth of Jesus the deity of Christ the Incarnation Jesus's bodily resurrection and salvation through Jesus Christ alone, but one other doctrine that is absolutely Necessary is salvation by faith through grace Every major religion and every pseudo Christian cult emphasizes one thing and that is good works and Many teach that trying to live a moral life and doing good works will result in salvation Well, Jesus taught us that the problem isn't found in Just doing bad things the problem is our nature by nature. We are Paul would say children of wrath We have a fallen nature and so doing something good Doesn't necessarily mean that it's good enough. I shared this recently perhaps even last week. I don't remember anymore. I'm old But I do remember Saying that you can dress up a monkey in the tuxedo, but it's still monkey So you can dress yourself up a human being we I we can dress ourselves up in good works But by nature we are still enemies of God. So we need salvation We need God's help. We need to be be forgiven. We need to be sought out We need all of these things and that's how God saved us He saved us by the grace of God by our faith in him and grace when you see the word grace simply means and it's Been defined this way in its simplest form as it's undeserved favor It's something that we don't deserve but by faith we receive It's like what Paul said to the Romans in in the book of Romans chapter 3 verse 24 when he had said we are justified by his grace as a gift Through the redemption that's in Jesus and so because this is what is called an essential It is something that Paul and Barnabas contended over with the legalistic teachers Now contending for the faith is actually commanded We're not supposed to just agree with everybody and this let them go on their their their way to hell We're supposed to contend for the faith especially when people will come with disagreement and say oh, I don't believe that So we contend we're more than willing to engage them over the subject Like it says in the book of Jude in verse 3 where where the writer said well I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly For the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints contend earnestly You are to with with with great agony agonize. It's a Greek word That actually we get the word agonize from it. It speaks of a strong contention that we actually will will put all of our Heart and soul into contending for the faith of Jesus Christ now This is taking place people are entering in they're beginning to command Christians to be followers of the law of Moses and to receive Circumcision and and so Paul Barnabas and others had gone to Jerusalem in order to get that issue resolved and So while they were there it was decided that Gentiles were not to be yoked with the law of Moses The decision was made as we saw last time to exhort Gentiles to respect sensitivities of their Jewish brethren Gentiles were not under the law But they were to respect the Jewish brothers and sisters in the Lord and and to do nothing to stumble them or to divide them Well, Paul and Barnabas Judas Marsabas and Silas were sent to Syrian Antioch and and they delivered this letter and the church rejoiced Over its encouragement and that's what has taken place up to this point And so at verse 33 here in chapter 15 it says after they had stayed there for a time They were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles. However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there and so they were sent and They were to To go and continue ministry, but notice that That that some left but another remained notice in verse 34 that Silas remained But Paul and Barnabas and Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch and what were they doing? They were they were preaching the word and they were teaching the word now when you're teaching and preaching teaching and preaching are Very similar, but not identical Teaching is given the essentials of what the word of God is saying So you are appealing to the mind of somebody when I'm teaching the word as a minister as I'm teaching the word I'm saying these are the things that are taking place here. These are the essentials of what we're looking at This is taking place in this way. This is why that was taken place. That's explanation But when you're preaching you're calling people to a decision and normally normally Preaching will be to those who are unsaved. So a teacher will say for example Jesus Christ was God in the flesh He was born. He served and ministered He eventually was betrayed and he died on a cross, but he's Resurrected those are essentials that you can speak of but the preaching would say why did he do that? Why did Jesus Christ incarnate? Why did Jesus Christ do the will of his father? Why did Jesus Christ die on a cross and did Jesus Christ remain on that cross? And so the preaching of the word of God would be to call a decision Listen if Jesus Christ came to die on the cross for man and you are a human being did he die for you? And if he died for you, what are you gonna do about it? The Bible calls us to receive him as Lord and Savior to turn from our sins and commit ourselves to him to be born again By the Spirit of God now that's called preaching So you're teaching the essentials by calling for a decision and so while they were there they were teaching So the body of Christ is learning they're learning the things that they are to know But he's also calling for unbelievers to come to faith in Jesus Christ and they remain there for some time It's estimated that they stayed for around a year doing that Well, it says in verse 36 after some days Paul said to Barnabas Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord See how they're doing Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had deserted or departed from them Im in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another So Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus But Paul chose Silas and departed being commended by the brethren to the grace of God And he went through Syria and Silicia strengthening the churches and So what we see here is a decision as you see it in verse 36 where Paul says let's go back Let's visit those people in the churches and all I want to do some follow-up I want to make sure that they're doing well You see false teachers are beginning to undermine the gospel and he wants to make sure that they're healthy that they're being taught properly And that's the heart of a shepherd a concern for the well-being of the believers and and Paul was willing to endure anything in order to make sure They're okay When I was in bar in school night even Bible college in college when I was in a college class taking comparative religions One of the professors or the professor of that of that particular class was saying that Paul was simply a Intellectual he he didn't he said this this teacher said that Paul didn't have a compassion at heart Now he was not a believer this guy. He didn't know Paul at all the writings of Paul He simply was a professor in a secular college telling us what he thought and he was wrong Because how could he say that Paul had no heart when he's the one who God used to write first Corinthians 13 an entire chapter on the love of God How could you say that Paul had no heart when Paul did all the things that he did when you look in the scriptures? And you look at some of the things that Paul did you'll see that Paul endured quite a number of things for the sake of the Brethren for the sake of the people when he was writing for example to the Corinthians in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 27 and 28 he was speaking of the things that he had endured for the sake of the gospel and He said I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. I have known hunger and thirst I've often gone without food. I've been cold and naked Besides everything else I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches Paul wasn't just a hard-hearted lacking compassion Intellectual he was a shepherd and he cared about these people and these people were always on his mind and in his prayers Like he said to the Ephesians in chapter 1 verse 16 where he said I haven't stopped thanking God for you I pray for you constantly So he wants to go we want to see he says how they're doing But verse 37 Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark and Paul insisted that they should not take That they should not take for them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylion had not gone with them to the work And the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another Barnabas took mark and sailed Cyprus But Paul told us a chose Silas and departed being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. They went through a Division of heart over this issue You remember what had taken place You see Paul had already had experience with John Mark and Paul saw him for what he was at that moment and at that point that season in his life if you will he was an immature believer and Paul did not agree with taking an immature believer on such a In important journey When we were looking in chapter 13, we saw how that mark had gone as an assistant to them But he had left he had gone home So Paul couldn't rely on mark Why because he's unreliable He showed himself unworthy of such an important task You see the Spirit had sent them to offer salvation to the Gentiles But but Barnabas had departed it says in verse 38 here Paul insisted that they should not take with them The one who had departed that word departed is a very strong word in the original language, which is Greek The word actually speaks of desertion. It speaks of the hymn Abandoning he left he departed he deserted and Paul couldn't count on him So Paul said no, I'm not going to take him when it says in verse 39 The contention became so sharp that they parted the word contention means a provocation It was such a sharp irritation Now they didn't have a carnal fight if you will They were both strong in their beliefs Paul said no, he's not ready And Barnabas said but I can encourage him to become I'm willing to work with him Somebody said John mark had been tried in difficult circumstances and failed Paul therefore would not trust him again The affection of Barnabas led him to hope for the best And wanted to give him another chance Barnabas would not give up Paul would not agree They therefore agreed to separate and take different parts of the work Each had a companion to work with Barnabas took mark and sailed to Cyprus But Paul took Silas and he went into Syria verse 40 says that Paul chose Silas Now Silas is we've already been introduced to him. He's a he's a proven believer. He's a prophet He strengthens believers And so what they do in verse 41 is they go through Syria and solicia and they're strengthening the churches So instead of a single team, they now have two teams that have been formed When you think about this and I'll take a moment to share some things with you that may be practical and hopefully understandable When you see sometimes an opportunity is given for you To go somewhere and to do something from the for the Lord you may think at first that sounds exciting It sounds like something I'd like to do. I want to be part of that And and part of the problem of that can be is that because of the lack of experience in that kind of thing We may have a way of viewing it that really isn't consistent to what it really actually is When I started teaching bible back in 1973 When I began teaching a bible study, I thought it's very simply. You just open up the book and you talk about God How hard is that? Well, it can be a little difficult. I remember a woman who approached me one time after a bible study I was like 25 years old at the time 26 somewhere in that area forget how old I was but I do remember What she said she said I hate you And I said Marie you can tell me that at home. Why are you telling me I hear You're embarrassing me in front of people No as a woman in the bible study That she walks up to me after the study and she says I just need to let you know. I hate you I said, okay What are you supposed to say? I said, okay And she says well, wait, I'm not through. Oh, gee. Thanks. You got more. Okay She says I don't know if it's because I hate authority Or I'm physically attracted to you And I said you hate authority. There's no doubt in my mind That you hate authority See these are things you don't expect you think you're gonna open up the book You're gonna talk about god people are gonna love Jesus are gonna follow christ That's what you think But there are so many people and so many things and so many experiences you have That it begins to awaken you to the fact that this isn't as easy as it appears You know the number one thing that people don't like to do number one thing all Surveys i've ever seen the number one thing that people do not like to do is they don't like to speak in front of people Number one thing second thing for me is they don't like to study And look what god did I don't like to speak in front of people and I didn't like to study so he said here I'm gonna put you there so I'm gonna force you to do those things, but you're not ready for that You're not saying I want to do that. I volunteer for that It's a calling that god gives to you Many years ago and I want to develop this further with you about him Not bring ready because I see him as a man who wasn't ready for ministry Many years ago we were given an opportunity I was given an opportunity to go to India to minister and I was Uh church was young at that time And so was I physically I've been doing ministry for a while But it was the first time I'd ever have a chance to go to India And I remember the traveling the travel to get to india was very it was long We had several stopovers it took us quite a number of hours to finally arrive and when we finally arrived at bombay When we finally arrived, I still remember as we arrived that we're just dead I mean we spent five hours in frankfort for a layover and by the time you get there you're already dead tired And as we were walking and gone through customs and we're walking to uh to the gates to exit I'm noticing a double double-pane glass There's double-pane glass all through the airport exit as you're going out And they discovered why there was double-pane glass when we got out because I had never been around the stench of of rotting And decay in such a magnitude in my life as as I experienced there just arriving in the airport I could not believe How how how much you could smell the putrification? The decay all through and they double-pane so you couldn't smell it when you got to the airport But once you stepped out and then we're driving and as we're driving we stopped by uh We stopped at a stop light we're on our way to the hotel We're going to stay in it and every island every traffic island that we stopped at had had people living there in cardboard structures That's where they lived And then we get to the hotel and when we get to the hotel I look outside And they're in front of me is a body of water similar to a lake if you will small lake On one hand I see someone washing the clothes and another another I see someone bathing their child And in the third and all of this is within a hundred yards There's someone drawing water out to go and cook with that was my introduction And as we I was there 16 days and so We started seeing a lot of things We saw started seeing many things that were very difficult. There was there's the smell of decay. There's the poverty That's everywhere. It's beyond you. I'd never seen poverty like that in my life You know little children I'm talking about six seven eight year old kids have been basically purchased or given to what we would today call pimps That's what they're called basically and they would take a Club and broke their leg or arm And and so that the child's arm would would heal In in in a crooked way the leg they couldn't walk And they would have them beg And everything they got from the tourists they were to give to the guy who was handling them the pimp And I saw that I saw a woman who was on the side of the road taking small Stones and breaking into gravel and and and as we're going the the guy I was with who was the The guide if you will said you know what she's doing She's breaking those large rocks into gravel. She sells the gravel She works in the sun 10 hours a day for 50 cents a day So she can pay for that pay for food to pay for food for her children And we're seeing that and seeing that and seeing that I go to a we stop in a place on On the side of the road so we could grab something to eat and And I walk into this there's a small cafe and I walk into it and it's got concrete floors It's in some village outside Where we were staying in and and I could see the pathway of human feet because they weren't wearing shoes They're just barefoot I could see the pathway on the concrete had to go to the bathroom and go to the go around to the bathroom and The door of the of the of the toilet area there is just it does it's not in its hinges You have to pick it up and move it to go in and it has foot pads there and And just a hole there that you use for Relieving yourself and and human beings had had been there and and there was I don't want to be overly descriptive But they they were not very accurate in in I'll put it that way So there's all this feces all over And you could see the footpath as it walks out into the kitchen and as I'm walking following that footpath out I see the the the cook who's got a knife sharpening on the door stoop And you could see that that's where people had traveled bringing human feces into the kitchen And he's sharpening his knife on the door stoop that's infected with human waste And so we drive And and I and I'm talking on a on a recorder trying to remember all the things that I'm seeing and I said Well, we're going by a lake and then I started to dry heave. Why because it wasn't a lake. It was a lake of sewage a lake of sewage One thing after another after another after another we couldn't eat the food there because one of the people who ate Food in in a restaurant had gotten something that infected him And he had to go home and he got home when he got home He almost died he was a medical miracle Because he had taken some medicines they gave to him that had sulfur and arsenic in it And we we went through so many things by the time I had gotten to the The east and one of the eastern cities madrasas were there I was through I said that said I called maria and I said I got to come home because I saw a little girl I estimated her to be between three years old or so maybe four at the maximum Without any clothes laying on cardboard on a sidewalk with her mother begging for money to feed her child And I happened to have a sensitivity to little children It breaks my heart to see them like that and I couldn't take it anymore I called bereak. I said I got to get out of here. I can't take this anymore. I just can't and I Wept on the phone We were in a city that had what they called women in women in cages Where women who were prostitutes Were kept in cages actual cages Some of them with their children that they'd given birth to through their prostitution the poverty the stench We couldn't eat we had anything we we ate whatever you could peel which was boiled eggs or oranges or banana We wouldn't drink the water. So you had to be given bottled water That was mineral water and we were told have them open it so you can hear the sound of the water And uh, you can see that it's actual mineral water because if you drink the other water they offer you You're gonna get sick see so I have I didn't come home by the way, but I I wanted to And I'd been in ministry a long time by that time So when I when I read about this young man john mark That he just couldn't handle it I relate He was in a different land. He was doing different things. He just he wasn't ready Paul said no, I need I need uh somebody in the delta You know and this guy's just a recruit I need somebody who's a delta force person who knows what missions and ministry is and this is a person I have to teach every step of the way. I'm not going to do it But Barnabas is saying no, I will I'll take him. I am the son of encouragement That's what barnabas means son of encouragement. I will take him. I will help him I will minister to him. You don't have to worry about him. Paul said no, I'm not going to do it I'll take sylas and barnabas Took with him his cousin john mark And if that's the only place that we have to see these people then then we would say my goodness That's a terrible story, but that's not true. We have other places We know that under the encouragement of barnabas that that mark became a strong servant in the lord It became it's obvious in scripture. He became very close to the apostle peter. Peter mentions him, but not only that The gospel of mark has been called by theologians A gospel that was given to him dictated to him by the apostle peter And there are those who would speak concerning the gospel of mark that you see in reality It's more than likely the gospel according to To peter. He was very close to the apostle peter If all of all we had was what we're seeing here and what we've seen before And maybe the mention that the apostle peter makes up and we might say I wonder whatever happened to him But when we read Paul's last letter 2nd timothy And I want you to remember that this is a man who traveled and we're seeing here in the book of acts This is a man who is willing to go anywhere to die for the gospel of jesus christ who ended up in jail And beheaded on the side of the road outside of rome This is a man who is willing to go anywhere to give up his life for the gospel of jesus christ He loved people. He wept for people. He ministered to people day and night. He prayed for people But when you read in 2nd timothy his last letter that he writes he says to them, I've been abandoned by everybody And he's right into timothy. He's saying make make haste to come and see me bring the parchment And bring me something to wear. I I need something to cover me because the cell that I'm in is so cold And he says everybody in asia has Abandoned me in ministry. I don't expect everybody to remain No minister should In the case of paul he said I've been abandoned by everybody But he went on to say in 2nd timothy 411 only luke is with me Bring mark with you when you come For he will be helpful to me The last word we hear of mark is he became profitable So we don't give up on people Because they didn't have what it takes at that moment We want to be encouragers to those who've stepped out in faith and perhaps we're not as successful as we would like them to have been Barnabas said No, I'm gonna encourage him Thank god for the barnabas is in our lives Thank god for the people who said I believe in you I believe that god will do something Through you God hasn't given up on you And I won't either Thank god for friends like that And that's what basically took place here Barnabas took mark. He sailed to cyprus But paul chose silas and departed being commended by the brethren to the grace of god And he went through syria and silicea strengthening The churches Which brings us to chapter 16 Just one last reminder. It's not how you begin but how you finish that counts In verse one He came to derby in lystra and behold a certain disciple was there named timothy the son of a certain jewish woman Who believed but his father was greek He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at lystra and iconium paul wanted to have him go on with him and he took him and Circumcised him because of the jews who were in that region For they all knew that his father was greek And as they went through the cities they delivered to them the decrees to keep Which were determined by the apostles and elders at jerusalem so the churches were strengthened in the faith And increased in number daily And so we're now introduced formally to a young man We all know because first and second timothy. He's mentioned those are letters to him and all but we're being introduced to timothy Now around eight years before paul had preached in an area called lystra We've seen how he had preached in that area He preached in a city named iconium and and paul and barnabas has stayed there for a long time They were preaching there in the synagogue and that many people were listening but it was uh It was so disturbing to them that that there was trouble that started because unbelieving jews stirred up the gentiles and began to poison their minds against the apostle paul and the gospel In chapter 14 verses 5 and 6 of the book of acts that says a violent attempt was made By both the gentiles and jews with their rulers to abuse and stone them Uh, they became aware of it and fled the lystra and derby cities of lycaonia and the surrounding region And so we've already been partially introduced in some of the things that led up to this This timothy's grandmother And uh, his mother were jews and they were Women who had trusted in christ as their messiah And so timothy his grandmother and mother had come to faith under paul's ministry In second timothy 1 verse 5 paul said to him i i have been reminded of your sincere faith Which first lived in your grandmother lois and in your mother eunice and i'm persuaded Now lives in you also So through paul's ministry timothy had come to faith in christ And when he did paul regarded him as his true son his genuine son in the faith There are two men in the new testament that paul calls my son in the faith One of them is timothy and the other is titus And he calls him my genuine son my true son Now as i mentioned his grandmother and mother were jews, but his father was greek That's another way of saying that his father was not a believer So that makes him an unusual man this greek man who's timothy's father He wasn't a believer, but he was gracious to his wife Now why would that be a big deal now in the 21st century shouldn't he be well greek husbands had a stranglehold on the life of their wives Somebody wrote a respectable greek woman led a totally secluded life She never appeared in public alone She never appeared at meals or social occasions. She had her own apartments and none but her husband was ever allowed to enter in There was a greek writer xenophon who said the purpose of this isolation is in order that she might see As little as possible here as little as possible and ask as little as possible So this man must have been a benevolent man because he didn't hinder her from Following her faith That isn't always the case But it was very good when it happened So that meant that timothy's mother was free to lay down scriptural foundations for him And by laying down those scriptural foundations It made it more possible for him to come to faith in the god he'd been taught about by his jewish mother and grandmother I believe it's a very important thing for us as parents By the way, those of us who are and even grandparents For us to nurture our children in the faith And it's not easy. I won't pretend that it is and it wasn't when my kids were small Just because they were born to a pastor in them and and a godly woman doesn't mean that they didn't have a sin nature They had a sin nature They got from their mom and it was very difficult So I would so I would give them devotions from the time they were very small From the time they were little Every night five days out of the week. They got devotions and two nights out of the week Two days out of the week. They were in church. They came to church on wednesday nights and sunday nights as well as sunday My children were saturated for seven days a week all of their childhood And they still gave us a run for our money So what's going to happen when we ignore and never do any of that? If we're not teaching them about god and what god is somebody else is going to teach them what god isn't We have to be aware of that timothy's mom Was married to an unbelieving greek But benevolence god was gracious in this case Because she was able to teach him Scripture paul speaks about that in second timothy when he says in verses 14 and 15 of chapter 3 He said to him you you must continue in the things which you've learned and been assured of knowing from whom you've learned them And that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith Which is in christ jesus So he had been prepared the fundamentals had been laid in his heart He had done what the jewish kids of his day would have done. He memorized chapters of the bible Books of the bible they would memorize the first five books He knew the word of god. He was taught the word of god. So when you heard the gospel and how it's completed through christ He was able to embrace christ in faith It's interesting Another thing to point out i want you to notice in verse 2 how it says he was well spoken of by the brethren Who were at lister and i and i at iconium? He was well spoken of he had a great reputation That's one of the things again that a minister ought to have paul wants to take this young man Because he is well knowledge has great knowledge in scripture and a good reputation My father taught me many things But he didn't sit me down and lecture me I don't know what your dad was with you whether you even had the the blessing of a father. I don't know I can say in my case My father didn't talk My father was very quiet. So I had to learn my father and his ways by observation But on occasion he would speak to me and say something and one of the things my father said to me Was you need to have a good reputation son a reputation matters I can still remember My brother and I were young. We were little guys and I might have been seven years old at the oldest my brother would have been about nine I remember pulling up it may even have been sooner than that but we pulled up in front of A house we knew we didn't know who lived there was a friend of my dad And my mom turned around and I still remember talking to my brother and me and she said these people respect your father Don't you do anything to bring shame to him? Because she knew we didn't want to go they didn't have any kids to play with we're gonna sit on a couch We don't want to go and my brother and I had our arms folded like this We were scowling we don't want to go here We were letting her know And she knew that we were capable of saying something and so she turned and she said Don't you bring shame to your father's name? Those are the little things that I think of when it speaks about having a good reputation Because your reputation in many ways is what strengthens your testimony of the gospel When you do what you say This man timothy had a great reputation. He was well spoken of Proverbs 22 verse 1 says a good name is more desirable than great riches to be esteemed Is better than silver or gold My dad taught us something again This is another thing that I bring into my life and that was this And my mom taught us that because again my dad didn't tell us my mom would tell us about my dad She said your dad will pay his bills before he buys groceries Which is true Your dad will pay his bills before he buys groceries Because his name means that much to him She said if I have to find some leftovers and scramble them up and give it to you That's what you're going to eat because my Because your your father believes That paying his bills Is what gives to him the outer image of character I'm the same way. I got that from my father pay your bills first Make sure you're paid up I would rather not owe someone so I do my best not to Because I want to have a good name It gives you credibility And ministers are to have an impeccable reputation You see the message that he's going to be taken is one that speaks of lives that are changed through God's grace through love through forgiveness And that's why we're to die to our old lives and live the new ones that are empowered by the spirit of god transformed by grace and And informed by the word of god and a spiritual a spiritual leader is to have a life without reproach First Timothy 3 7 says an elder must also have a good reputation with outsiders So that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap and and so paul wanted to take him With him and he took him. I want you to notice this he took him and had and circumcised him now Obviously timothy was trustworthy paul knew he could be a great assistant But people knew that his father was greek You see in the jewish faith jewishness is inherited from the mother not the father and because his mother was jewish He was considered to be jewish And so in order for him to be effective in ministering to the jewish people the jews knew his father was greek therefore He submitted to the circumcision so it wouldn't have a blockage between him ministering to the jews the word of god Now paul didn't circumcise him to be a debtor to the law paul circumcised him to give him opportunity to preach Because it resulted in greater usefulness in ministry. He allowed himself to be circumcised Timothy was willing to undergo anything necessary to reach people for christ In first chrithians 9 19 through 23 paul said it like this. He said though. I am free from all men I have made myself a servant to all That I might win the more to the jews I became as a jew that I might win jews to those who were under the law as under the law That I might win those who are under law to those who are without law As without law not being without law toward god But under law towards christ that I might win those who are without law To the weak I became as weak that I might win the weak Then he goes on to say I've become all things to all men that I might by all means save some And this I do for the gospel's sake that I may be partaker of it with you So timothy was willing to go through whatever pain was necessary So he could go out and preach the gospel and what did they do versus four and five They delivered the decrees established by james for the council and the council to keep And the churches are now being strengthened and the faith is growing And we'll close by looking at verses six through ten When they had gone through frigia and the region of galatia, they were forbidden by the holy spirit to preach the word in asia After they had come to missia they tried to go into bithynia, but the spirit did not permit them So passing by missia they came down to tro us And a vision appeared to paul in the night a man from pomona stood and pleaded with him Macedonia Come over to macedonia and help us Now after he had seen the vision immediately we sought to go into macedonia Concluding that the lord had called us to preach the gospel to them So we'll close with these few these few words They're traveling along the southern area of turkey. They're going west Paul's desires to go into the world to preach the gospel to every person that was his passion Romans 15 20 he said i've made it my aim to preach the gospel not where christ was named Unless i should build on another mounds foundation. I want to go where his name hasn't been heard So he wanted to go into this area called asia now there are those Who think that this is speaking of what we today refer to as asia china Japan But that's not what it's speaking of what this is speaking of is asia minor Asia minor is a geographic region located in the southwestern part of asia It's it's comprised mostly of modern-day turkey That's where he wanted to go when you read your bible and you look at the book of revelation It speaks about this area by naming names like Ephesus and Smyrna Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea the seven churches of revelation are in asia minor So he wants to go there, but the holy spirit won't allow him to do that They're to remain ministering in that region And so frigia is an eastern portion of turkey, but galatia Is northwest of this place called frigia Now paul was especially successful in galatia I'll say this briefly because i'm running out of time I don't think the pastor wants me to talk that long, but i'll ask him. It's okay. All right, so i'll Say a couple of things and conclude because i found this interesting not everybody will So i'm just going to touch it galatia. We hear about galatia. There's a book of galatians I'll look at that with you some detail later on But when you see galatia when you think of that it's in turkey So what do you think in turkey you think in turkey that Because of modern turkey it's filled with uh with middle eastern people But galatia was originally was not middle eastern people You might find this interesting. They were what are called the galls The galls came out of europe The galls were a people group in france And belgium in switzerland southern germany and ostia They're also referred to as kelts. They were kelting And i find that very interesting. Maybe you don't but i do Because in the middle east they were europeans who had come in there and they brought in their traditions and their beliefs And they became called gallations because of the name gall Because gall by and large is large portion of the french population is gall gallation and they came there well paul was there and When he was wanting to minister and all the scripture says this is real interesting that he had an illness And he and and he ended up planting churches in this area Galatians 4 13 says you know that it was because of a bodily illness that i preached the gospel to you the first time so that's what Gave him the ability to do that and so The spirit would not according to verse 7 permit them to go It may be that he spoke through prophets. It may be that there was an internal witness How the spirit was forbidding them isn't made Clear but they didn't go That's because in ministry the holy spirit needs to be in charge And the way you determine where to go and what to do is you you pray and you seek his word You wait on him and just because you may feel a burden. Does it mean you have a call? There are a lot of people who want to see something happen somewhere and they may feel called to that when in fact They're really called to pray because god is going to send somebody else there And so the holy spirit is the one who directs you Romans 8 14 as many as are led by the spirit of god our sons of god So they finally arrive in a port city named troas Turkey and i'll close with these verses a vision appeared to paul and the knight a man of massadonia Stood and pleaded with him saying come over to massadonia help us After he'd seen the vision immediately we sought to go to massadonia Concluding that the lord had called us to preach the gospel to them I want you to notice that prior to this the word they and them Had been used because luke was speaking of others on the trip But now he includes himself by saying we Paul sylas and timothy are joined by luke Luke is called the physician in colossians 4 14 and he joined perhaps to go on the trip But also be there to perhaps care for for paul And finally in verse 10 they concluded that the lord had called them to preach the gospel So as a unified group they agreed that this was of the lord. They're there to do it The spirit is working there paul has a vision But the group goes together because the work will always be unified and together they board a ship Together they go to do the work of the lord. It's always important when possible when you're doing ministry To have somebody working alongside of you The lord hasn't called us to go out on our own and to demand people to follow us simply because Ministry is normally through a team effort When jesus sent people out he sent his men out two by two Because they needed to strengthen one another and to be there for one another And so they went as a team. They were unified paul received the vision and all the people knew that this is in agreement This is what we're to do But they went together And I really think that's a sign of a healthy group of people who are willing to do what god says to do But they do it together under a unified leadership Purful through the word of god waiting on god and doing what god has for them to do And so we're going to stop here, but i'll pick up and give some more things about this next time we gather And get into the book of acts