Book of Acts - Ch. 16, Vs. 1-11 (04/27/2003)

Yes, it's been a long time since I've taught Sunday school Brother Otis has been doing that since Since he came to our church

And I used to teach the adult class forever seemed like But I've really enjoyed

Sitting in his class So I'm gonna cover for him today We're gonna be in Acts chapter 16

And I'm taking his word for this

I didn't have my Bible marked where we stopped but That matter of fact last Sunday. I was ill

Sunday morning, and I missed Sunday school got here for church So I don't know where he left off, but he told me

That's good Well, I should have known this was accurate.

Miss B told me so I she knows right where we are Okay. Well, let's have a word of prayer and then

I'm gonna start with I'm gonna pick up just a few of the verses right above it and at the end of chapter 15

I'm gonna start with chapter 15 verse 38 Let's pray father. Thank you for your word.

We thank you for another day to meet together We do pray for a brother Otis ask you to heal him continue to healing also to Lessen the pain that he's having

Help his body to heal quickly so that he can be back with us soon We miss him this morning and we ask you to bless our

Bible study together in Jesus name. Amen Okay, well, let's look

Let's look start with chapter 15 and verse 38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them.

This is talking about mark Who departed from them from Pamphylia and went not with them to the work mark

I mean Paul thought mark was a quitter. I think He didn't think that That mark could follow through with things.

I don't know what all he thought about him, but he was highly negative towards this young man And he made it known to he he was not the type who would oh

Just out of kindness hold things back He was very apparently very forward in a very businesslike and if he felt like this was not

The right thing to do he let everybody know it well created a problem in verse 39 with Barnabas and It says the contention was so sharp between them

That they departed asunder one from the other and so Barnabas took mark and sailed unto

Cyprus And Paul chose Silas and departed being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God and he went through Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches now, it's interesting to me to note number one that two strong Christians could have very sharp contention and still serve the

Lord although they Did not continue to serve the Lord together for some time now later in Paul's life.

He spoke highly of mark So something happened where the two of them got right with each other and I would assume that means

Barnabas and Paul did as well later later on and he probably even worked together again

But there was a time where they separated and that happens among Christians.

That's why we have so many Churches in one town small town like this probably 30 40 churches.

That's really unnecessary But it arises when brothers have sharp contention usually and one group will go and say well

You can't agree. How can you walk together? so they'll get a group that does agree and start a new church and that happens again and again and this church is a result of such a happening and It's not always wrong and yet it's not always necessary And what you just have to do is do what the

Lord leads you to do What's interesting about this though If you notice it does not say in verse 40.

It does not say that the church recommended Barnabas and Mark They only recommended

Paul and Silas now this Recommended you might think a better modern

English word is commended not recommended We don't use the word the way it was used in 1611

What we would write today if we were going to redo this we would say being commended

By the brethren unto the grace of God So this word commended

Comes from a couple of Greek words para which means near and Dido may which means to give so it means to come near and give and You can picture this as someone coming near and laying hands on them

Saying we're in agreement with you and we're sending you we feel it's God's will we feel God is sending you but the church is also recognizing that God is sending you and So this is what it meant when it says the church

The brethren together with the elders commended them let me give you another example in the scripture where that happens a couple of others one is in Acts 14 26 and Then sailed to Antioch from which they had been recommended or commended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled and When they were come and had gathered the church together they rehearsed all that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the

Gentiles and There they abode a long time with the disciples so you can see real unity and fellowship here and then in Acts 1522 we see another example then pleased at the

Apostles and elders with the whole church, and I love this verse There aren't any verses like this in the

Bible but it gives us a big clue about church government and There's a lot of differences of opinion on that the

Presbyterians do it one way Episcopalians do it one way the Baptist do it one way the Baptist do it one way of course the

Catholics have their way all different forms of church government But this shows clearly one little part of some of the facts that we are given is that the

Apostles and elders ruled the church that is true, but they also were interested in The church's opinion as well because it says the

Apostles and the elders together with the whole church sent chosen men And what this gives us a picture is as the

Holy Spirit would choose men for a work The same Holy Spirit would confirm that within the hearts of the church

Same thing happens today. If you have a gift say a gift of teaching The church will confirm that over time if you have the gift of music the church will confirm that over time

Doesn't happen Instantly usually it's usually that over time

God will cause the church to recognize the gift that he's given this person and the church on the earth the physical church on the

Earth will commend them to that work Just as God had that's assuming the church is spirit -filled and walking with the

Lord if they're not they'll do exactly the wrong thing You know, they'll they'll put the wrong person in the wrong place every time if they're in the flesh

But this is assuming it's a spirit -filled church like this one was in the New Testament The church will commend a person to do the work that God has called him to do and I just found it interesting back to our study now back in Acts 15 40 that the church did not commend

Barnabas and Mark the absence of that is speaks loudly They did come in Paul and Silas that means that they thought

God had sent them. We don't know what it means that they didn't come in the other two We can infer some things from that Okay.

Now, let's go back and go into chapter 16 Verse 1 and before I do that, let me make this one comment what we just studied

Shows the biblical method for new churches starting Now there are many unbiblical methods

But the biblical method is that a local church of an established local church commends men of God Feeling that the

Holy Spirit has called them to go and start a new work and they send them to do that The new church should not be just started by somebody that wants to start a new church commended by another church

When this church was started we had two churches that Commended us to start this church.

One was Bellmead Calvary Baptist Church in Bellmead and the other was Parkview One John Abraham used to go to Parkview Baptist Church in Waco and they both sent money the first year for Every month they sent money to help start this work and that's the way a new church should be started

It should be have the blessings of an established church If it doesn't it may mean that there's someone starting a cult group or it's gonna have any kind of weird doctrine

That gives you the Bible method people men can say well,

I don't have to have men You know lay hands on me God called me to do this and that sounds really good and noble, but it's not

Bible methods The Bible method is yes. God is the one who hires the person so to speak.

God is the boss He's the one that hires the men to do the work But the same God by the

Holy Spirit will cause the church to see If this is what God wants and the church will commend this to happen

When you see both of those happening together, that's the way it should be The Lord calls the man he senses it in his heart or more than one people.

They sense it in their hearts They may make known to the local body that they feel this is what God wants them to do

But they don't just go out and do it until the church Senses the same thing and then they come together and they commend them for the work.

You see that that's Bible methods That's how it should be done Any other way you may have a cult group just about to be started now chapter 16 verse 1 then came he to Derby and Lystra and Behold a certain disciple was there named

Timotheus the son of a certain woman Which was a Jewish and believed in other words a

Jewish believer But his father was Greek which was well reported out by the brethren that were in Lystra and Iconium Him would

Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him

Because of the Jews which were in those quarters But they knew all that his they all knew that his father was

Greek And I want to stop and ask the classic question at this point

Why Did Paul require Timothy? to be circumcised

When we know that Paul teaches neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth anything but faith

Or but love he says it a couple of different ways This was a grown man Why would he cause this

Gentile Timothy to be circumcised? right answer

It was a matter of expediency not a matter of law It was a matter of wisdom

Not a matter of necessity Paul believed that given the circumstances of who they would be speaking to that Timothy would have more influence on the

Jewish people if he did this and The end was to have them hear the gospel and be saved and this was merely a means

Therefore it was not inappropriate for Paul to ask him to do this or even require him to do this

In other circumstances, it might not have been necessary at all in this circumstance

Paul thought it was so that leads me to another question. Is it wrong today for leaders in the church to require things of those who would serve

Would it be wrong For the leader to require some someone who's going to ask to do something in the church to fulfill certain

Requirements first. Anybody else have a thought?

Well, let me give you an example if I have someone that comes It's a very good teacher and wants to teach our youth department and he smokes

Do I have a right as a pastor to say, you know, I'd love to have you teach But until you stop smoking you can't teach in our church.

That's what I mean So it still holds true today that just as Paul had the right to require

Timothy to be circumcised before he could teach with him Leaders in the church today have the right to have requirements now men, you might hope we don't have that particular requirement, but you can have requirements and you ought to have requirements because God gives the leaders the wisdom to know what the people need and And to have wisdom to know what's necessary in a church for the end to be met what is the end for people to learn the

Bible and Then as they go out from here to tell the gospel Effectively and with the power of God so yes today it is necessary for leaders to hold certain requirements up to those who will be in certain positions of service in the church and Depending on the position would depend on the qualifications

Any other comments on that? Probably why there are 50 million churches

Because when you start I'll say this when you start having qualifications Those are preference of the leader.

They are not biblical. For example Paul when he required Timothy to do this It was not because the

Bible indicated in any manner that Timothy needed to do this In fact, the Bible taught the opposite.

He does not have to do this So it was Paul's opinion as the leader and Timothy had two choices not to serve with Paul or to serve with him

So he said I want to serve with this man. It's a once -in -a -lifetime opportunity I'll do whatever he says

But he didn't have to do it, but then he didn't have to serve with him. And that's kind of the way it is and that's That's one reason

I think we have so many churches some people say well I'm not willing to do that to be able to serve in that church.

So they can I suppose all that's okay That's kind of what

Barnabas and Mark just did isn't it? so There's a huge danger

There's a huge danger there, but Paul had the same danger. He just had to Use wisdom if you have a man who's truly walking with God.

It's not a danger The hard part is it's hard to tell if you have

The independent Baptist Church churches, for example or are destroyed by this very thing

The pastors require things that are totally not in the Bible and they take the very attitude I just said if you want to go here

If you want to serve with me, you have to the men have to all have their hair up above their ears No beards, by the way,

I'm not kidding. That's a rule No beards if you're gonna be in leadership up here playing music or teaching sometimes you gotta get rid of the beard

Now, what would you do if I told you that? You probably think about leaving You might say well, no,

I think God wants me here, but that's crazy I don't know what you would do But the independent Baptist churches are filled with that and the pastors then become

God so to speak and that's your your point I don't know how to deal with that because you're absolutely right

Only God can deal with that And so what the church body has to do is if the leadership requires something

It's not in the Bible and they're they're strong on it. So you just can't be a teacher You know if you're gonna smoke

Then the body has to say is this reasonable if it's not they should they should fight it

If it's reasonable in other words if the Lord leads them to feel that it's reasonable then they go with it

And that's the only answer I have for that. That is a huge problem You've got that off the tape.

I know where you got that But it certainly wouldn't be required He's got a tape by a comedian that sings the song and it's knocking these faith healers that have all these expensive things, you know

Okay. Well, there you go. That was a good discussion The answer is you need a spirit -filled church and spirit -filled pastor for all this to work and you know, what's amazing?

God has set it up this way on purpose Because it won't work if it's not this way and unfortunately in the independent

Baptist movement They have substituted being spirit -filled with rules If you keep these rules, you'll be righteous.

You'll look righteous. Well, you'll just be clean. You'll be holy You'll be different than everybody some of the

Pentecostals do the same thing doesn't work. They have a higher problem with fornication

Among the people in the churches and in the ministry in churches like that than any other church

Because they set it up on rules. They start trusting the rules and the rules won't keep you clean

If they did we didn't need a New Testament. We didn't need a cross. We didn't need Jesus. We just keep the law

So we don't want to go back to there But still somewhere in it all the leaders do have to have the wisdom to be able to make some rules on who can serve

And who can't? You just it's just common sense You can't have people who were who were fornicators and smokers teaching the youth group so Who's not gifted at teaching?

That's exactly true But you do have to have leadership and they do have to make decisions that are not in the

Bible They're not spelled out in the Bible every time. You know what that does it leaves room for the

Holy Spirit To work and move Not that there's not room for him in the

Bible there is I mean That's the largest way in which he worked deals with our hearts is through the written word one of the largest ways

But also he moves us The Bible's not going to tell you which house to buy it's not going to tell you which city to live in Doesn't even tell you which church to go to directly so Holy Spirit, it's important that we be filled with the

Holy Spirit as a church and as the leaders Okay, that's that's good. Let's go on to oh

I had I had an example Let me give you one a Bible example of the second

Timothy 2 to where I asked the question Is it wrong today for leaders in the church to require things of those who would serve?

This is your the one you said mom Second Timothy 2 2 says and the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses

The same commit thou unto faithful men who shall be able to teach others also

So Paul taught Timothy don't spend a lot of time Unless it's a person that when you teach them this they can teach other people, too

So there was a qualified list of people that Paul told him to spend more time with than other people so Wisdom is required and the filling of the

Holy Spirit is required in all areas of the church. Now, let's go to verse 4 Acts chapter 16 in verse 4 and as they went through the cities they delivered them the decrees to keep so they went to all of these churches and they delivered the decrees for them to keep that were ordained of the

Apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. Can anybody Name one of the decrees that they sent out in the letter

What are the things we're supposed to tell the Gentiles Remember that they had a problem about it and they went back and they said well, no

We're not gonna make them be circumcised. We're not gonna make them keep the law of Moses But these things you need to do and if you do these you'll be fine.

What were the things you remember? It's my name one Stay away from what? That's one give me another one

I'm cheating. I got the note. Well, if you go back to Acts 15 verse 20, it gives you the things delusions of idols

Fornication things strangled and from blood Now I want to ask the question why this is well

And I want you to put it in the context of what we've studied already today, though Not in the context trying to figure out why these specific things would be wrong.

Why any of why did they give these? Rules to the Gentiles first question. I would ask did they have to give them these rules and are these rules?

Biblical from the point of view of New Testament theology. Did they need these rules? Answer that one first.

Did they need these rules? Oh They did not need these rules because Paul said all things are lawful to me.

I can eat any meat that I want to eat So it's okay for me to eat meat that was offered to an idol

He taught that so the New Testament teaches that's okay so The answer the first question is no these were not necessary from a biblical theological point of view.

So why? Did they have them? Well, we we know that the fornication out of those three.

We know that one is New Testament theology They should abstain from that but the others Pollutions things strangled

Things that are not killed for listen You don't keep that one today any meat that you buy at the grocery store is not killed properly

According to Jewish law It is shot in the head with a 22 and the blood stays in that meat

Now they do drain it somewhat But the way the Jews kill animals is they slit their throat and while that heart still pumping it pumps all the blood out of that Out of the meat or most you've never get all in their view, that's all and we don't kill

Exactly kosher meat It's because the animals killed alive literally just slit the throat and it takes it a while to die

How long Greg three minutes three four minutes before it dies And while it's before it dies the blood pumps all the heart pumps all the blood out of that artery

So that meat is clean of the blood and that's the way the Jews do it. Our meats not that way So we break this law about the blood all the time

So it's not a New Testament theology principle. The only one that is in the fornication

My question is why did they give them rules then and Nana answered the first question?

They need to live learn to live orderly that would probably have to do with the fornication part. But what about these other ones?

What about the pollutions of idols eating meat that was sacrificed to an idol the thing strangled in the blood?

Why that why that rule for Gentile churches? anything goes

Very good, Greg It's a good point.

I like that point Okay, let me put the two points together It was

First of all Because we have to remember it's totally different than today in the first century.

The church was predominantly Jewish They were Jewish believers came out of Judaism got saved and became part of the church baptized into the church

They still wanted to bring their old stuff with them that's human nature when you look back at Martin Luther and You look at Calvin.

Did you know that they still sprinkled babies when they knew better? Why did they do that?

They knew those babies weren't saved. They weren't born again yet. Why'd they sprinkle them? Because they got that out of the

Catholic Church that they had come from they came out of the Catholic Church Their grandmother their mother their great -grandmother all believed you sprinkle babies, so they didn't want to give that up.

It was part of their social Things in the church it was wrong But they couldn't give it up and and so some of these things like the meat from the idols and those sorts of things

Are things that just really a Jewish person just couldn't live you could tell him look Biblically, this doesn't matter and Paul of all people could convince them of that.

He's I'm a Jew of Jews I eat meat if I want to eat it from from there because it's all things are lawful to me

I'm I am NOT saved by stuff. I do I'm saved by what he did the finished work of Christ.

I'm in Christ And he taught that he could convince him but you know what he could never take away to this one generation

The fact that they go That's just wrong. You just shouldn't eat meat with blood in it

They just there's nothing you could do would make them feel good about that So so in wisdom and it goes back to the whole teaching we've had today

It is not a biblical matter except on the fornication But on these other three not a biblical matter other than this matter the

Bible does say Don't make your weaker brother stumble so it all comes under that so That that then allowed for these rules to be made even though theologically they were not perhaps necessary from an expedient point of view of expediency with considering what groups of people were coming together and And Greg's part two of them needing to come out and and create see some difference

Between the way they were and the way they are all of those together were good reasons for these rules But someone could have easily raised their hand say yeah, but all teaching doesn't say we have to do that See, but the

Holy Spirit's wisdom was to have these rules. Yes It's kind of a they feel it makes it more likely

Maybe in the older one. Yeah, maybe the only experience there. Yeah Well, art the purgatory for a while But they think they'll get there eventually if they're sprinkled as a baby

It's very important But then there it's not consistent logic because there are a lot of other things they didn't have to do later

The last rites are very important to why would they be important if the sprinkling took care of so they're totally illogical

But anyway, we see here another teaching in today's lesson about how sometimes we have rules

That are not based on theology. They're based on What works best with the people who are in the church such as Paul requiring

Timothy to be circumcised? Such as the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem requiring the

Gentile churches to avoid meat from idols and To meet things that were not killed properly

Animals not killed properly part of it was so as not to offend their brothers who were Jewish Christians part of it was as Greg Said so that they could start to see

They need to be different than the pagans around them Good very good answers

The class brother Otis would be very proud of this class today Okay Let's go to verse 5.

We have a couple minutes left verse 5 and so And so where the church is established in the faith and increased in number daily.

So these principles work It helped them to grow Increased in numbers

Daily now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the

Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia now Let me stop there and ask you a question

Forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia Here's the question would the

Holy Ghost prevent certain people or nations from hearing a clear presentation of the gospel and Is that what's taught in churches today?

What is taught today? Well, what's taught today is everybody don't be say everybody has the opportunity to be saved and God wants everyone saved

God loves everybody That's what's taught today but that God who

Everybody says loves everybody forbade them to give them the gospel in Asia Why would he do that?

And yet the same God sent missionaries who gave their lives for Asia later

And by his people who do you mean? Okay, you're not talking about missionaries.

You're talking about elect people That is

God's viewpoint, but it's absolutely accurate People don't like to talk about that much now, but it's absolutely accurate

We don't know right Well, let me ask you this if we don't know who the elect are and Jesus himself said don't cast your pearls before the swine

Lest they turn and rend you what does that mean? They might tear you to pieces they might literally kill you so don't witness to pigs

How can you tell a pig from a lost sheep? No, they don't

Half of us in here you would have thought were pigs if you'd seen us when we were lost wouldn't you? They don't look different at all.

They look The worst -looking one may be the elect sheep and the nicest

Friendliest one might be the one that would just tear the church to smithereens You can't tell by looking so what does it require you if you're going to witness?

What does that require of you same think about the context of what we're teaching today in this passage?

That's exactly right. There's no rule. He said to be directed by the Holy Spirit There's no rule you can make

Now churches make it all to make rules all the time say, okay Thursday night. We're gonna have visitation

That's when we're gonna witness you come. We'll have a little lesson on soul winning Here's what you tell them Romans Road shake their hand say you're in baptize them and go everywhere

Go to every house in this town and do that That is not what they did in the

Bible Anywhere ever they went where the Holy Spirit led them to go, but you know what that requires

When you leave the house for work on Monday, you can't just leave for work You have to leave filled with the

Spirit Prepared to witness to anyone the Lord tells you to witness to that day and you have to be able to discern his movement in that direction in your life and Most people not willing to do that So it's easier just go on Thursday night get in the car with another group of people go out and make visits

You're gonna be talking to them exactly the wrong people that's why it doesn't work The churches the big churches that are built on that are full of tears

That's why they have fighting in those churches. They have Everything going on.

It's like black birds in a tree It's not right. So The fact is the

Holy Spirit led them not to go to Asia at this point he later led

Who is the father well, I was gonna say Judson was it

Hudson Taylor that went to China, wasn't it? I get a couple of mixed up.

I Believe that's the one And he stayed there. I don't know how many years before anyone got saved, but finally by the time

In his old age Thousands of people were said look at verse 7 then

After they were come to Missia They assayed or they desired to go into Bithynia, but the spirit didn't allow them so they didn't get to go to Bithynia either and witness and They passing by Missia came down to Troas and a vision appeared to Paul in the night

There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him or asked him saying come over into Macedonia and help us

Now my question is who are we supposed to witness to everyone? Exactly, right.

Is that what's taught today? Go like this And Nobody can tell you who you're supposed to verse 10 and after he had seen the vision

Immediately we endeavored to go to Macedonia Look at this assuredly gathering that the

Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them this word assuredly comes from a couple of little

Greek words one soon, which means union or togetherness and Be bought so which means to force and what it means is when the

Holy Spirit Let them know All at the same time where they were supposed to go it forced them to have a unity about it and they were in agreement

A perfect agreement on where they were supposed to go next as a group and that's beautiful to see that in the church

They were forced to unite by the Holy Spirit's voice in their lives

What caused them to have unity about where to go next I just answered it

I already answered it. Sorry about that Therefore loosing from Troas They we came with a straight course to Sam O Racia, it's funny how these are easy to say when you read it to yourself when you try to read it out loud

It doesn't come out the same in the next day to Neapolis and from there to Philippi Now we'll stop there for this morning think about this

We won't quite stop and we'll make a point They had several places. They wanted to go and witness and God didn't allow him to go there and they ended up in Philippi Have you read the book of Philippians lately?

Let me tell you some of the jewels that came out of the fact that they went there instead of going the other places

They wanted to go Just listen To these principles that came out of this being confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work and you will

Perform it until the day of Christ Jesus some of the most beloved Concepts, you know as a

Christian came because they went to Philippi For to me to live is Christ and to God to die is gain

Rhyme in a straight between the two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ Which is far better nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others Let this mind be in you which is in Christ Jesus Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God one of the strongest teachings on the deity of Christ?

But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men

Being found in fashion as a man. He humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the cross

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and give him in a name Which is above every name that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow and of things in heaven things in earth things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord to the glory of God the Father Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your own

Salvation with fear and trembling for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure

Where would we be without these truths? Beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision those who teach the law for we are the circumcision which worship

God in the spirit and Rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh

But what things were gained to me those I counted loss for Christ Yea, doubtless.

I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my

Lord For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and to count them, but done

That I might win Christ Brethren, I count myself not to have apprehended.

But this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind behind. This is very good Forget what's behind the evil things you did in your past forget them

They're part of the past They're part of what made you be who God is going to have you to be someday Forget that and reach forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus For our conversation our life is in heaven from whence also we look for the

Savior the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned likened to his glorious body

According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things and to himself

Think of all these principles we wouldn't have if they had disobeyed gone to the wrong place at the wrong time

So those are just a few there are many others. Well, let's stop there Let's see. What verse did we stop with?

I'm in a bad time to see Yeah, we stopped with verse 12.