Introduction
Video Ill.: Paul’s Second Journey - Graphe
This morning, we are continuing our summer road trip, going along with Paul on his journeys as recorded in Acts.
Last week, we journeyed with Paul and Barnabas as they traveled throughout the province Asia, teaching about Jesus. We saw that the gospel will always spark some kind of reaction from hearers. Sometimes its good; sometimes it isn’t.
We saw how Satan, through this world, tries to disrupt the spreading of the Gospel, but we also know that in the end, he will not win.
This morning, Paul’s second journey is recorded in Acts 15:36 - 18:22.
Before Paul leaves Antioch on this journey, he and Barnabas go their separate ways over an argument about whether John Mark should go with them. John Mark had quit part way through the first journey, and returned to Jerusalem, for reasons we do not know. Because he left part way through, Paul felt strongly that John Mark should not go on this journey. Barnabas, however, argued for taking John Mark.
Unable to resolve the disagreement, Paul and Barnabas go their separate ways, Barnabas taking John Mark on a missionary journey, and Paul taking another believer from Antioch named Silas.
Let’s see what we can learn from Paul’s second journey this morning.
First thing we see is that we need to be attune to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 16, we read:
6 … Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. 8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. ||
9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. (Acts 16, NLT)
Paul and Silas had spent a little time going back to visit some of the churches from their first journey.
They then planned to go up further into the Asian province of Bithynia, but Luke tells us that Paul was barred from going there.
Some have suggested that this barring could have taken the form of something physical — possibly that Paul was sick due to his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7).
In seeking medical treatment for his illness, Paul met Dr. Luke. It is interesting that it is in this passage where Luke becomes a part of the traveling party. Up to this point, though his gospel and the book of Acts, Luke has been a third party, outsider, telling the story.
Now, Luke becomes a traveling companion with Paul, and from what we can determine, remains with Paul throughout the rest of his journeys.
Whatever it was, though, God was using something to block Paul from traveling northeast into this other province.
The door in which he was standing in front was closed.
The door was not closed once, but twice, according to Luke.
So now what? What was Paul going to do?
Haven’t we been there, too? Staring at the closed door in front of us and wondering what we are going to do next — wondering what God has in store for us?
Staring at the Closed Door
Source: Helen Keller in The Faith of Helen Keller. Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 1.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1995/august/1028.html
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Helen Keller once said, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”
We can get stuck, you see, standing there in front of the closed door — unable to move — unable to change directions — unable to see what is next.
And sometimes it’s not that we just stand there looking, we actually get upset by the closed door, and want nothing more than to go through the door.
Longing for the Closed Door
Source: Alexander Graham Bell, Leadership, Vol. 3, no. 3.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1995/august/1032.html
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Alexander Graham Bell said, “When one door closes, another one opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.”
Thankfully, Paul did not get stuck standing in front of a closed door.
Instead, God had a message for Paul — to go a different direction.
In our lives, we need to listen for the Holy Spirit — to hear His promptings, to follow His leading.
You just do not know how He will speak to us. To Paul, it was in a dream with a Macedonian man pleading for Paul to come help him.
Maybe that is how He will speak to us. Maybe it will be something else.
Open Vessels
Source: Julie Price, Orlando, Fla. Christian Reader, "Lite Fare.”
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1999/march/5658.html
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Julie Price, writes, “My husband had four major blockages in his heart, so the doctors planned for an open-heart surgery. On the morning of the surgery, I drove to the hospital, worried and tense. But my spirits lifted when I passed a church only two blocks before the hospital. The church sign announced the coming sermon: WANTED — OPEN VESSELS.”
It was just the message she needed to hear.
Was it the Holy Spirit? Maybe.
But if we are not actively listening and paying attention, we may miss the signals, messages, and directions that God is trying to share with us.
When we are attune to the Holy Spirit, we may find out, like Paul, that God has something better in mind for us. In Paul’s case, it was an opportunity to spread the gospel into Europe.
What is God trying to share with us?
Take time to be quiet — meditate on God’s Word — commune with God — seek His leading and guiding in our lives.
2. On this journey, we also see that the gospel message is for all people.
In Acts 16, Luke goes on to tell the story:
11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. 12 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would || be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the || Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. (Acts 16, NLT)
It is in Philippi that we meet one of the first converts in Europe — a woman named Lydia, and a seller of all things purple.
Scripture tells us that she was a wealthy woman, for things dyed purple were not cheap to either make or obtain.
In Philippi, Paul and Silas did things differently. As this was a primary Roman city, there were no Jewish synagogues there. Instead, the Jews, primarily the women, found a place along the river bank, where they would meet for prayer.
We see that Paul and Silas went to where the people were.
It was there that Paul and Silas met with the Jewish converts in Philippi. It was there they met Lydia.
It was there that she heard the gospel message.
It was there that she and her family became followers of Jesus.
It was there that she extended the hand of fellowship to Paul and Silas, inviting them to stay with her and her family while they were working and ministering in Philippi.
Paul and Silas were not shy about whom they shared the gospel.
They welcomed any and all into the family of God as they preached the message of the good news.
It’s a good lesson for us as we are ministering to those in our neighborhoods and community.
Beluga Whales Welcome Lone Narwhal into Their Pod
Source: Emily Chung, “Beluga whales adopt lost narwhal in St. Lawrence River” CBC News (9-13-18)
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2018/october/beluga-whales-welcome-lone-narwhal-into-their-pod.html
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There was an interesting story I ran across about an unusual visitor that has been hanging out in the St. Lawrence River for the past three years: A narwhal, more than 600 miles south of its usual range. But the lone narwhal is not alone—it appears he has been adopted by a band of beluga whales.
The narwhal was filmed in July playing among a pod of young belugas. The video was taken by the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals. Robert Michaud, the group's president, said, “It behaves like it was one of the boys.” The interactions between the narwhal and the belugas appear to be identical to those among just the belugas, suggesting the narwhal has been fully accepted as part of the group.
So how did the narwhal end up in the St. Lawrence in the first place? Michaud said it's not unusual for young whales to wander into strange habitats. Young belugas wandered as far south as New Jersey. Some, unable to find their own kind, end up trying to make friends with boats and humans, and get fatally injured by propellers.
“That little narwhal that made a similar trip was very lucky,” Michaud said. “Because he found almost normal buddies.”
Belugas and narwhals tend to “stick to their own kind” when they encounter one another in the north. But Martin Nweeia, a researcher at Harvard University, said given how social both species are, he thinks they'd be similarly capable of caring and compassion.
“I don't think it should surprise people. I think it shows … the compassion and the openness of other species to welcome another member that may not look or act the same. And maybe that's a good lesson for everyone.”
As the church, we must also be eager to welcome newcomers and strangers into the fellowship, sharing God’s good news, His love, and His compassion with all. And when visitors come to us, they should never feel as though they are unwelcome or that there is no room for them.
3. It didn’t take long, but Paul and Silas found themselves in trouble because of the gospel. Even in the darkest of times, they teach us that we can still find joy in God.
Finishing Acts 16, Luke tells us:
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon || within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
|| 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners || were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the || dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and || everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. (Acts 16, NLT)
Paul and Silas were in jail because they healed a girl from being possessed by a spirit. People back during this time would often take people like this girl into their care, and then would use them to make money. It was very profitable.
Instead of being truly concerned for her well-being and glad that she had been healed, her owners became angry that they had lost a significant source of income.
It’s true, even back then, that those who love money love it more than anything else.
So these owners have Paul and Silas thrown into jail.
Yet while in jail, Paul and Silas found the strength and peace of mind to worship God.
Why? They had true joy.
There Is Always Room for Joy
Source: Bruce W. Thielemann, Leadership, Vol. 8, no. 4.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/march/1655.html
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Someone once said, “Good Friday came after Christmas, but the angels still sang at the manger. In the midst of the hardest reality of life, there is always a welcome for tenderness and beauty.”
There’s always room for joy in our lives.
Later, it’s to the church in Philippi, where Paul and Silas were currently in jail, that Paul wrote simply:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4, NKJV)
A bit ironic isn’t it! But the church in Philippi would have understood exactly what Paul went through, and how Paul and Silas had been able to sing and worship, despite the hard things they were going through.
Paul had learned in his life that:
Joy comes not from our circumstances, but who is in our heart.
Joy comes from trusting in God’s promises, not from being overwhelmed by the hurt around us.
Joy comes from the hope of our salvation, not the struggles of our world.
Joy comes from looking up, not looking around.
Joy comes from God’s peace, not our worry and anxiety over what may or may not happen.
Joy comes from the Resurrection, not the borrowed tomb.
As the Psalmist says, Joy comes in the morning, though we may weep through the night (Psalm 30:5).
When we are filled with God’s love, we have no choice but to be filled with joy, no matter what our circumstances.
When life get’s tough, look up, seek God’s mercy and love. Focus on Him, not ourselves.
That’s what Paul and Silas did.
That’s what we should do as well.
4. After getting out of jail in Philippi, Paul and Silas make it to Athens, Greece. Paul teaches us that one day God will issue judgment on the world.
In Acts 17, we read:
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17 He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about || Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
19 Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” || 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown ||God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From || one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And ||since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him || from the dead.”
32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. (Acts 17, NLT)
The “Unknown God”.
The time is coming when the world will find out who the “Unknown God” really is.
Many Truths
Source: Mary Lefkowitz, a professor of classical studies at Wellesley College, in N.Y.Times Book Review (1-23-00)
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2000/february/12303.html
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Our world is so messed up and getting worse each and every day. Everyone see,a to have their own version of the truth, for example. Mary Lefkowitz, a professor at Wellesley College, said, “The notion that there are many truths might seem well suited to a diverse society. But when everyone is free to define truth as he or she prefers, as at present, the result is an intellectual and moral shouting match in which the people with the loudest voices are most likely to be heard.”
Sadly, in our world today, the loudest voices seem to be the ones who have made their own truth. They do not seek the truth of God. They seek the truth of self.
The time will come when the One who proclaimed to be not only the Way and the Life, but also the Truth will be revealed for all to see.
There is no excuse for not believing.
Paul talked about this in Romans 1 — where he says that God has made himself plain to the wicked world that suppresses the truth. He has shown the world who He is through the creation, His power, and His divine nature. There is no excuse for not knowing him.
The day is coming when everything will be set right.
The day is coming when we will be judged based on the truth. Not my truth. Not your truth. But God’s truth.
The question becomes this morning, are we ready? Do we know Jesus? Do we really know Jesus? Have we given Him our lives? Are we ready for His return?
Conclusion
This morning, there are a few other things that happen on this journey.
A few other notable people that Paul met on this journey include Priscilla and Aquilla.
They went with Paul from Corinth to Ephesus. In Ephesus, they met Apollos, who came from Alexandria in Egypt.
Apollos preached powerfully in the synagogue in Ephesus. Priscilla and Aquilla guided him and taught him further.
Then we see that Apollos went on a missionary journey of his own into Achaia.
You see, when we are busy about the Lord’s work, sharing the gospel and God’s love, we will touch lives. What we do not always recognize is the bigger picture — the people we touch will then in turn touch others, who in turn touch others.
And in doing so, the light of the gospel will spread from one person to the entire world, if we all take the time to share the gospel with just one person.
This morning, that’s all we are called to do — share God’s love one person at a time.
Are you ready? Are you brave? Do you need courage? Seek God. Listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Hear his guidance. Follow his wisdom. And when we do, we will find God leading us on a journey of our own.
