Travelling With The Apostle Paul - Silas

• They were still trying to figure it all out,

• Remember they did not have a complete New Testament;

• They were limited in their understanding.

• And so when a situation arose that needed wisdom and sensitivity;

• The early Church chose Silas & Judas (called Barsabbas).

Chapter 15 verses 32 tells us they were also ‘prophets’,

• They were men were gifted b God;

• To bring an authoritative word from God on a particular subject.

Ill:

• Henry Ford the founder of the Ford Motor Company;

• Once asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory.

• One day the generators ground to a halt,

• And the Ford repairmen couldn't find the problem.

• So Henry Ford called Steinmetz,

• Who came along and tinkered with the machines for a few hours;

• And then when he threw the switch, the generators whirred back to life.

• When Henry Ford got a bill, he was amazed at how much it was;

• Steinmetz was asking for $10,000.

• Flabbergasted, the rather tight-fisted car maker inquired why the bill was so high.

• Steinmetz's reply:

• “For tinkering with the generators, $10.

• For knowing where to tinker, $9,990.”

• Henry Ford paid the bill.

• TRANSITION: In the early Church when this big problem needed fixing;

• It required Silas & Judas (called Barsabbas) to do the ‘tinkling’

• They had the backing of the mother Church in Jerusalem,

• And they were men actively involved in Church leadership.

• They had the gift of prophecy,

• As well as wisdom and sensitivity.

(2). Silas the Missionary.

Acts chapter 15 verses 36-41

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

• Judas (called Barsabbas) returned to Jerusalem,

• But Silas remained with Paul and Barnabas to teach and preach the word of the Lord.

• Silas became a companion to the apostle Paul;

• On his second missionary journey (49-52 A.D.),

• That journey went through modern-day Turkey starting in Antioch;

• Then on through Greece and then back home.

Silas took the place of Barnabas:

• We looked at the story of John Mark in a previous sermon;

• And how when the going got tough he ‘deserted’ Paul & Barnabas,

• (Acts chapter 15 verse 38)

• Later, Barnabas wanted to give John mark a second chance;

• But the apostle Paul said no, and so they had a "Sharp disagreement".

• The unexpected consequence of the disagreement was two missionary teams;

• That were able to spread the gospel twice as far.

• Barnabas and John Mark sailed to Cyprus,

• And Paul and Silas go on to Syria and Cilicia.