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?
    • See 1 Peter 1:10-11
  • 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]

• [17:16] His preaching different at Athens
  • Did he make a mistake?
  • Why did he not even mention the cross?
  • It was for a good reason—almost identical message to his other message to pagans at Lystra
  • Paul preaching to pagan Gentiles—compare the two

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?

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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