A vision for God`s work

Sermon notes from Sunday 15 October 2017

Acts 16 verses 1 - 10

A vision for God`s work

I want us to think of the scripture verse 9 "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us."  Paul gets a vision of a man simply waving to him, trying to attract his attention.  Here`s a man who sees what is happening in his community and realises he needs help.  He is not looking for something of a social benefit but rather of a spiritual benefit.  He is telling Paul to come over into Macedonia to help them.  That is what we need to do - have a vision for God`s work today. We do not take God`s work for granted.  It is not just attending Sunday morning or Sunday evening worship - it is a daily progress.  We are gearing ourselves now for what we term is the winter`s work.  The Ladies meetings, the weekly Sunday School, Lifeliners, outreach around the doors - it all begins again.  The winter work looms before us.  We have rested over the summer months but the devil has not rested.  He has been keeping people back from the word of God.  As we consider the winters work I don`t want us to look at it as someone elses job, that someone else would do it.  Notice the passion and compassion on Paul`s heart as he listened to this man`s plea.  Immediately he left to do the work of God.  When he heard the plea the responsibility was on him to do something.  The responsibility is on each of us.  What can I do to progress the work of God?  It is easy to say there is someone better for that, that there is someone more eligible for that work, someone equipped for that work but the responsibility is more "what can I do today?"  That means opening up our hearts and asking God "what can I do for the winter work that lies before us?"  It is the Lord that equips.  We have to open up our hearts and follow him.  God equips our hearts to be able to do the work.  Are we up to following after the God of heaven?  The Lord came to young Jeremiah one day.  He called him to one side and said to him "I have a task for you."  He was only a young man but he was to go into the nation of Israel, that backslidden nation, that nation that was turning fast from the Lord, when judgment was about to fall and he was to take the word of God to them.  The first thing Jeremiah said was "Lord I cannot speak, I am only a child" (Jeremiah 1 verse 6).  He was using his inexperience for the task but God replied "Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.  Be not afraid of their faces; for I am with thee to deliver thee."  Then what did the Lord do to Jeremiah?  "Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth.  And the Lord said unto me, behold I have put my words in thy mouth."  If the Lord asks you to do something today do not be afraid.  He is only waiting for you to say "yes Lord equip me for it."  He will equip you today.  Notice here in this call and the work in Paul`s heart ...

The attention Paul gives to the work of God.  Chapter 15 verse 35.  Paul was in Antioch teaching and preaching the word of God.  There were in fellowship "with many others".  Somehow that work did not suffice because Paul had the work of God on his heart.  Verse 36 - the attention Paul is giving here to the work of God.  He is teaching and preaching the word of God, building up the people there.  Paul turned his back on that for the good and benefit of the work.  He only wanted to see the work of God built up and strengthened.  He wanted to see the work of God going on.  In chapter 16 he comes now to Lystra and meets a young man by the name of Timothy.  Timothy was about 23/24 years of age.  He had been saved in one of Paul`s earlier missionary journeys.  Paul came to Lystra and preached the word of God.  Timothy was there.  He had been taught by his mother and grandmother.  Perhaps they encouraged him to attend the meetings when Paul was preaching.  We are reminded again of the verse "where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst".  It is not just about building numbers each week but rather for people to hear the word of God for themselves.  Remember they could be taken out into God`s eternity tomorrow.  Maybe your invitation to come to a meeting might mean they could be gloriously saved.  If you were to ignore that they could go out into eternity lost.  Paul met Timothy in Lystra.  Paul said of him in 1 Timothy "my son in the faith" and later in 2 Timothy he called him "my beloved son".  Paul thought highly of him.  He wanted Timothy to come with him - verse 3 "him would Paul have to go forth with him."  Timothy knew he was saved but he wanted to go with Paul.  Paul wanted him to go with him because first and foremost he was a saved man.  Who we allow into the pulpit or into any of God`s work is important - we need to make sure they are saved by the grace of God and bear a testimony of saving grace.  Paul invites Timothy to join them.  He knows something about Timothy - verse 1.  His mother was a Jew and believed but his father was a Greek.  Then we read "which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium".  He took Timothy with them because he had a good testimony.  Paul`s attention to the word of God.  He would need to introduce someone who would not destroy the work.  He had a man who bore a good testimony in the community.  He was only thinking of his reputation.  Paul took and circumcised Timothy because of the Jews.  He was thinking of those not saved, there was something lacking in his life.  Why had Timothy not been circumcised?  Because his father was a Greek.  His mother was a young Jewish girl.  She had married a Greek.  That brought conflict into the home.  That is why it is difficult - a young man raised in a home then takes a partner who is not saved.  That always causes conflicts.  His Greek father did not want him to follow the Jewish traditions.  The language here would tell us that Timothy`s father was now dead.  As he circumcised Timothy, Paul knew he could work amongst the Jewish people and have their respect.  Paul did not want any barriers with the gospel.  He wanted someone who had the respect of everyone else.  That is what we need to be careful about in our fellowship - that we are bearing a good testimony to people - they are without Christ and without hope.  We are defending the work of God, standing up for it.  We do not want to bring in something that will bring disruption to the work of God.

Notice the awareness that Paul had.  He was aware of his calling - Galatians 1 verse 15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother`s womb and called me by his grace".  Romans 1 verse 1 "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God."  Every child of God is separated unto the gospel of God.  1 Corinthians 1 verse 17 "For Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." Paul was not going to depend on his own intellect or his great mind, he was going to depend on the power of God.  He was aware that he was set apart for the gospel, to preach the gospel.  We are all called separately into the gospel.  On the day you were saved, when you gave your life to Christ something special happened.  You were separated unto the gospel.  From that moment you were separated.  In Acts 16 Paul is seeking for a door to be opened.  He is waiting for the next step of the gospel to be opened unto him.  He is moving on now.  We have a winter work before us.  Are we aware of what God is asking us to do?  Paul had to press against the door because he felt the door was closing.  Mysia, Bithynia, Asia - all of those doors were closed for him.  We don`t sit back and wait for a door to be opened to us - we push against those doors and God opens them up for us.  Paul said "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries." (1 Corinthians 16 verse 9)

The alertness with which Paul acts - verse 10.  This is in the night time when he has this vision.  God was his priority, his mind and ear were open to what the Lord had to say.  He would prove if it was from the Lord or not.  He left immediately.  In Acts 17 Paul came to Athens.  He could see the whole city given over to idols.  "His spirit was stirred in him"  Are we alert today?  We are living in a very dark, dangerous day, when the very powers of hell are coming lower and lower against this earth.  The devil realises he has little time.  What if God has a challenge for you today?  What if you felt God`s hand on your life today?  Like Samuel did lying on his bed one night.  What about Elisha ploughing the field when Elijah comes and tells him "God has a work for you to do".  Elisha gathers everything up, he kills the oxen and makes a sacrifice out of them.  He says goodbye to his parents and follows Elijah.  He is alert to God`s call.  He is attending to God`s call.  There are souls today in my neighbourhood, some in my estate, in my family, souls today on their way to a lost Christless hell for eternity.  We need to be alert to souls today.

The assurance Paul has - "immediately ... assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them."  God is saying something to us today.  There are a great number of souls to be saved - will we take up the challenge knowing God has called us?