Section 6: "Extended Trips" [16:6]

Review of Outline of Acts

  • 12:24 Peace, but the Holy Spirit is about to do another huge move!!!

Outline:

  • Mission trip to Greece
    • Holy Spirit direction [16:6-10]
    • Philippi: Lydia & Jailer [16:11-40]
    • Thessalonica: attacked [17:1-9]
    • Berea: received the word [17:10-15]
    • Athens: preached to pagans [17:16-34]
    • Corinth: Two years of teaching [18:1-17]
    • Return to Antioch [18:18-22]
  • Ephesus: Two years of teaching & miracles [18:23-19:20]

6.1 Mission trip to Greece [16:6-18:22]

Holy Spirit direction [16:6-10]

  • Maps of Paul’s missionary journeys
    • In his first missionary journeys, Paul didn’t go that far from Tarsus, his birthplace.
    • Now the Spirit is pushing him out of his comfort zone, into a very different part of the Roman Empire
  • Paul and decision-making
    • [16:6-7] What do you think this looked like?
    • How could it be God preventing them from preaching the Gospel?
    • Is the “Spirit of Jesus” different from the Holy Spirit?
    • Did Paul wait for direction about where in Macedonia to go?

Philippi: Lydia & Jailer [16:11-40]

  • [16:14] What does it mean that God “opened Lydia’s heart” ?
    • Did he violate her will?
  • [16:16] Could the demons in this slave-girl really tell the future?
    • Do demons know the future?
    • Do they have any more knowledge than us [e.g. v.17]
    • Why did they “advertise” Paul—surely it would have been better for them to have kept quiet?
  • What did you think of when you saw the video of Paul being flogged?
  • [16:37-39] Why did Paul not tell them to start with about being a Roman?
    • Think of the example this would have set for the new Christians!
    • Why make them come and get him out?
      • How would this have affected the new Christians?
  • [16:40] Not true that Paul has a “down” on women—he recognized Lydia as a key person
    • (Also he greets lots of women in his letters, and strongly recommends Phoebe)
  • Another parallel with Peter—miraculous release from prison. (Is there a pattern?)
    • What exactly do you think made the jailor want to become a Christian?

Thessalonica: attacked [17:1-9]

  • Why was it always the Jews who were their biggest ememies?
    • Do similar things ever happen today (i.e. opposition from the “religious” leaders?)

Berea: received the word [17:10-15]

Athens: preached to pagans [17:16-34]

Corinth: Two years of teaching [18:1-17]

Return to Antioch [18:18-22]

6.2 Ephesus: Two years of teaching & miracles [18:23-19:20]

  • [19:10] Why did he need to spend 2 years teaching?
    • all in Asia?
  • [19:11-12] Wow!
    • signs of an apostle! 2 Cor 11:23-30, 12:10-12
    • Could this happen today?
    • Should we collect the clothing of godly men & women?

Response time

  • Would you like the kind of joy in Christ that would make you sing in prison after being “severely beaten” ?
  • Paul had an amazing persistence—he just kept going and brought in an extraordinary harvest
  • Would you like the Holy Spirit to take you out of your comfort zone?
    • before you pray this, ask yourself if you really do mean it!!!
  • So,
    • pray to be so filled with the joy of Christ that unbelievers will say “what must I do to have what you have”
    • pray that we do not become “weary in well-doing”, but rise up on eagle’s wings
    • pray that the Spirit will move you out of your comfort zone, and give him permission to do whatever he wants to with you