The Watershed of the Book of Acts The Jerusalem Council The Watershed of the Book of Acts The Book Of Acts 15 1-14 16-28

The Jerusalem CouncilThe Watershed of the Book of ActsThe Watershed of the Book of Acts

The BookOf Acts

151-

14

16-28

After the Jerusalem

Council, the church was at

a tipping point!

2nd Missionary Journey



Timothy from Lystra

• Great reputation in the church

• Mother was a believing Jewess and his father was a Greek

• Paul had him circumcised

TimothyPaul…

circumcised him because of the Jews

who lived in that area, for they knew that his father was a

Greek.

(Acts 16:3)

TitusNot even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be

circumcised, even though he was a

Greek.

(Galatians 2:3)

The Jerusalem LetterThe Jerusalem Letter

As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. (16:4-5)


Kept from…Asia

Tried to enter Bithynia

…kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of

Asia. (16:6)

…the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. (16:7)

…kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of

Asia. (16:6)

…we wanted to come to you…but Satan stopped us. (1 Thess. 2:18)

…the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. (16:7)


Troas was 10 Miles North of Ancient Troy

Journal Assignment #8

When a setback happens in your

life, do you tend to blame it on Satan or to look for the guiding hand of

God in the matter?

The Macedonian

Call

Come over to Macedonia and

help us!

1.There's a call comes ringing o'er the restless wave:Send the light! Send the light! There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save:Send the light! Send the light!

1 – Send The Light

Words & Music: Charles H. Gabriel© 2003 The Paperless Hymnal™


© 2003 The Paperless Hymnal™

Send the light! the blessed gospel light; Let it shine from shore to shore! Send the light! the blessed gospel light; Let it shine for evermore.

c – Send The Light




2.We have heard the Macedonian call today:Send the light! Send the light! And a gold-en offering at the cross we lay:Send the light! Send the light!










3.Let us pray that grace may everywhere abound:Send the light! Send the light! And a Christ like spirit everywhere be found:Send the light! Send the light!










Luke as a Helper for Paul

“We” starts in Troas and ends when Paul left

Philippi.

16:10 to17:1 Starts again when Paul returned to

Philippi in 20:5-6!


Philippi

• A Roman colony

• Large number of retired soldiers

• Important city

• 1st Church Paul planted on European soil!

“A Place of Prayer”

• Took 10 men for a minyan to form a synagogue

“A Place of Prayer”

• Pollard says it can mean a synagogue (111)

• McRay says it means the absence of a synagogue (144)

Conversion of Lydia

• A dealer in purple cloth

• From Thyatira

• Probably wealthy

• A God-fearer

Conversion of Lydia

• The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message (14).

• She & her household were baptized (15).

• Hospitality (cf. Zacchaeus)

Casting out Casting out Evil SpiritEvil Spirit

• Spirit of divination (Pythian Spirit – inspired by Apollo, the Pythian deity)


• Demon possessed people in the N.T. confessed spiritual realities (cf. Mark 1:21-25, 32-34)


• 1st time in Acts that Pagans initiated a persecution – and the reason was MONEY!


• They were dragged into the agora (public square or marketplace)


• Charges had an anti-Jewish tone to them – Appealed to loyalty and pride of being Roman

Stripped…Beaten…Severely flogged…

Paul in

Prison

• Paul spent as much as 25% of his time as a missionary in prison!

• See: McRay, pp. 146-147

The Jailer’s Conversion

• Began with a near- death experience – earthquake

• Fell trembling before Paul and Silas (29)

The Jailer’s Conversion

• What must I do to be saved? (30)

• Believe in the Lord Jesus!

• Believe (30)

• They spoke the word of the Lord to him (31)

• Baptized (33)

• He had come to believe (34)

Out of Jail!

• Paul played his citizenship card

• Probably protecting the church

Out of Jail!

• Escorted out by magistrates

• One last visit at Lydia’s house

Paul’s idea had been to retrace his steps from the 1st Missionary Journey. God’s idea was for the

gospel to move into Europe!

Outline of ActsOutline of Acts

1:8

Documents

The Watershed of the Book of Acts The Jerusalem Council The Watershed of the Book of Acts The Book Of Acts 15 1-14 16-28