The Advance Of The Gospel Series

Introduction

At the turn of the 21st century, Blockbuster reigned supreme in the video rental industry.

If your family wanted a movie night, someone likely had to drive to one of Blockbuster's 9,000 stores, stroll through rows of DVD-lined shelves, and hand a membership card to a blue-clad employee.

When Reed Hastings, founder of a fledgling startup called Netflix, met with Blockbuster CEO John Antioco in 2000 to propose a partnership, he was laughed out of the office.

Despite changing consumer preferences, Blockbuster doubled down on its store-first model by offering popcorn, books, and toys, while Netflix experimented with a subscription model and no late fees.

Just 10 years later, Netflix became North America's largest source of streaming Internet traffic during peak hours, with over 20 million subscribers.

Today, Netflix has over 300 million subscribers worldwide.

In 2010, Blockbuster declared bankruptcy.

Some opportunities should not be overlooked when influencing people.

This is particularly true when it comes to the good news about Jesus.

The Book of Acts records how the good news about Jesus turned the world upside down.

One of the key figures in the advance of the gospel was the apostle Paul.

Today’s lesson shows us how the gospel advances.

Scripture

Let’s read Acts 16:1-5:

1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Lesson

Acts 16:1-5 shows us how the gospel advances.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. The Gospel Advances with the Right Personnel (16:1-3a)

2. The Gospel Advances with the Right Precaution (16:3b)

3. The Gospel Advances with the Right Presentation (16:4-5)

I. The Gospel Advances with the Right Personnel (16:1-3a)

First, the gospel advances with the right personnel.

In our last lesson, we learned that Paul wanted to go and visit the brothers in every city where he and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news about Jesus (Acts 15:36).

Paul wanted to see how the disciples were growing in their faith.

Barnabas wanted to take his cousin John Mark with them on this second missionary journey (Acts 15:37).

Paul adamantly refused to take John Mark with them because John Mark had deserted them on the first missionary journey in Pamphylia (Acts 15:38).

Paul and Barnabas sharply disagreed, so they separated from each other.

Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cypress (Acts 15:39).

Paul took Silas and commenced his second missionary journey (Acts 15:40).

On his first missionary journey, the last two towns Paul visited in Galatia were Lystra and Derbe (Acts 14:19-21).

Lystra was where Paul and Barnabas healed a man crippled from birth. Then, they had to fight the people’s attempt to honor them as gods.

It was also at Lystra that Paul was stoned and left for dead from the stoning (Acts 14:19). But he was revived and went on to Derbe to share the good news about Jesus.

On his second missionary journey, Paul reversed his course. As we read in verse 1a of our text for today, “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra.”

Luke tells us more about what happened in Lystra. In verse 1b, we read, “A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.”

What do we know about Timothy?

First, Timothy was a disciple of Jesus.

One commentator suggests that Timothy was converted to Jesus during Paul’s first missionary journey about five years earlier.

Timothy was half-Jew and half-Gentile.

His mother believed in Jesus, but there is no indication that his father was a believer.

From Paul’s writing, we learn that Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, were believers who helped Timothy grow in his faith.

Luke tells us more about Timothy in verse 2, “He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.”

Timothy was growing rapidly as a disciple of Jesus.

He was living a consistent Christian life or, as we vow in our church membership vow, he was endeavoring “to live as becomes the followers of Christ” (Vow 3 of PCA Membership Vows).

Moreover, Timothy met the first and general requirement of a church elder: to be “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2).