"Followers"
Overview
Followers
Paul was a planner. After his disagreement with Barnabas, he set out with Silas to revisit and strengthen the churches he had helped establish Acts 15:36. His pastoral burden for those young congregations is unmistakable—the same heart he later expressed when he wrote of "the daily pressure of my anxiety for all the churches" 2 Corinthians 11:28. Even the painful split with Barnabas became fruitful in God's hands: instead of one journey, there were now two, and the gospel went farther.
In Lystra, Paul met Timothy, a young disciple well spoken of by the believers Acts 16:1–2. With a Jewish mother and Greek father, Timothy was himself a living picture of the universality of salvation. Paul's decision to have Timothy circumcised Acts 16:3 is sometimes misread as inconsistency, but Paul firmly refused circumcision when it was tied to salvation, as with Titus Galatians 2:3. Here it was a matter of missional sensitivity—removing an unnecessary obstacle for the Jewish audiences they would meet. Paul's principle is plain in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23: "I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some." He met people where they were, while never straying from the authority of God's Word.
As Paul, Silas, and Timothy delivered the decisions of the Jerusalem council, "the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily" Acts 16:4–5. This is disciples making disciples—the very pattern Jesus commanded Matthew 28:18–20. Notice that as believers matured, they became witnesses in their own communities. The same rhythm holds for us: belief, maturity, witness, conversion—and then the cycle begins again. The more deeply Scripture shapes how we think and speak, the more naturally opportunities to share Christ open up around us, whether through a children's ministry, a neighborhood event, or simply a conversation next door.
Yet the heart of the passage is this: Paul was a great leader only because he was first a greater follower. He and his companions were "forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia," and "the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them" to enter Bithynia. Then came the vision of the man of Macedonia, and they went, "concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them" Acts 16:6–10. Plan strategically, but hold your plans loosely. When doors close unexpectedly, stop and ask, "Lord, where are You leading me? Whom am I to speak to today?" Test those promptings against Scripture and the counsel of fellow believers. Christ's call has not changed: "Come, follow me" Matthew 4:19. We lead in this community only insofar as we follow Him.
Transcript
So I have a question for you. 0s
Who in here is a planner? 1s
You are a planner. 4s
You owe lots of you. 5s
I can only raise my hand halfway up. 6s
Not a super big planner, but a planner little. 9s
But we love planners. 13s
Don't we? 16s
Planners like to know exactly what's happening when 16s
it's happening. 20s
They like things to follow through exactly as on script, 20s
exactly as planned. 25s
And honestly, the world functions because we have planners. 28s
I love planners because it makes my world so much easier. 33s
I married a planner so that I would have a planner in my life. 38s
Yes, so planners. 44s
We found out about a planner. 46s
Paul's plan. 51s
Last week, we heard that that plan had a Paul. 52s
He talked to Barnabas in chapter 15. 55s
He said, come let us return and visit the believers in every city 58s
where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing. 63s
He and Barnabas had gone on a missional journey. 68s
They had met a lot of people, both Gentile and Jew. 71s
They shared the gospel. 76s
Many people were converted to Christianity. 78s
And they had established churches in all of these cities. 81s
And Paul makes a plan that we need to go back there and see how they're doing. 85s
We need to go back there and strengthen them. 90s
And then Paul and Barnabas have a big argument and they part ways. 95s
That was not a part of the plan. 100s
But God used the argument. 104s
He used what could be considered bad and used it for his own good will. 106s
That instead of one missionary journey, there would be two separate missionary journeys. 113s
Paul and Barnabas each leading a journey of their own. 119s
So Paul chooses Silas. 124s
He chooses a new missionary partner and he sets out. 126s
The plan was back on action. 131s
He was going to be taking a missionary journey. 133s
Going to go and strengthen those churches that he had helped to establish. 136s
He went through Syria in Silasia. 141s
Strengthening the churches. 144s
The plan was on point. 146s
And everyone could breathe a sigh of relief. 149s
And we pick up in verse 1 of chapter 16. 154s
Paul went on also to Derby and to Lystra where there was a disciple named Timothy, 158s
the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer. 164s
But his father was a Greek. 167s
He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. 169s
Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him. 173s
Paul's mission had begun. 176s
The plan was underway. 178s
They were visiting the believers. 179s
They were sharing more gospel. 182s
They were witnessing to new believers. 184s
The churches that had been established on his last journey were being strengthened. 186s
And isn't this such a beautiful testimony of Paul's pastoral 192s
care and concern for those whom he had witnessed too and had helped establish churches 198s
His missionary journeys all of them were with a witnessing purpose to witness to both 207s
the Jew and the Gentile. 213s
But he had that pastoral care for each of those churches as well. 216s
And he wanted to strengthen them in the faith. 220s
He wanted to make sure that they were getting proper teaching, that they were cared for, 222s
that they were growing in faith. 227s
Paul had a burden for the churches. 231s
We read in 2 Corinthians. 232s
He said, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. 235s
He really cared for those congregations and wanted them to be maturing in faith. 241s
wanted them to get the true word of God. 248s
On his return to Lystra, Paul ran into Timothy. 252s
He connected with Timothy. 256s
Now, we presume that Timothy and his mother were converted to Christianity in that first 258s
missional journey of Paul and Barnabas. 264s
Timothy was from a mixed marriage. 268s
His mother was Jewish. 271s
His father was a Greek. 274s
Now, by Jewish law, Timothy's mother should not have married a Gentile. 276s
She should not have married a he then. 282s
She should have kept that Jewish bloodline very clean. 285s
But it's interesting because Timothy's mixed lineage that he was both Jewish and Greek, 289s
that offered him an interesting or a very open door to both the Jewish and the Gentile 297s
communities. 304s
He had an entrance into either of those communities. 305s
He was a walking symbol of the universality of the Christian faith. 310s
That Gentile or Jew was welcome into the Christian faith salvation was for both. 318s
Now, Timothy must have had shown some sort of maturity or leadership within those early 325s
churches in Lystra and Iconium. 333s
It says that the people there and those groups of believers, that they spoke very 335s
highly of Timothy, that he was well spoken of. 340s
He was respected, well thought of. 344s
And Paul wanted Timothy to join him on this mission. 346s
Here was a walking example or symbol of salvation for both the Gentile and the Jew. 351s
He already was spoken well of in his young age by the community of believers. 358s
Paul thought this would be a good person to have on his mission with him. 365s
We continue in verse 3. 369s
Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him and he took him and had him circumcised because of the 372s
Jews who were in those places for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 378s
Okay, no wait a second. 385s
Paul, Paul who had just spoken before the Council in Jerusalem about the no need for circumcision 387s
in order for salvation. 396s
He was the one who made a case for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone 398s
to the churches. 406s
This is that same Paul who then had Timothy circumcised. 407s
That doesn't make sense. 415s
Does that mean that Paul himself is a hypocrite? 416s
Absolutely not. 421s
It shows the consistency. 422s
It goes right back to the sensitivity and the kindness that the Council had put forth in chapter 15. 424s
When they said, but we should write to them to the churches to abstain only from things 435s
polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. 441s
It was out of respect, out of kindness for the Jewish people that they would be speaking with. 448s
Timothy should have already been circumcised under Jewish law. 455s
In the Jewish custom, the child takes the mother's faith. 461s
His mother was a Jew. 466s
He should have been circumcised. 468s
He should have been raised in the Jewish faith. 470s
But in the Greek culture, the father. 474s
Dominated, the home. 477s
Most likely, the Jewish community in Lystra wasn't very strong. 480s
And so they didn't interfere with the Greek customs. 485s
So Timothy, though by law, he should have been circumcised. 489s
Was not. 494s
Paul absolutely resisted imposing circumcision on a Gentile convert. 495s
We can see this in his relationship with Titus. 502s
In Galatians, chapter two, Paul wrote Titus, who was with me, 505s
was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 510s
Because Timothy's mom was Jewish, he should have been Jewish in the eyes of the Jewish world. 516s
Or he would have been a Jew in the eyes of the Jewish world. 523s
It would have been proper for Paul to have him circumcised because it would have been seen as him being a fulfilled. 526s
Jew, Titus was a Gentile convert. 534s
He had never been under the Jewish ceremonial law. 539s
It didn't make sense to impose a law over Titus, a Gentile, unless it was connected with salvation, 542s
which we know it is not. 551s
Paul circumcised Timothy out of respect for customs of his evangelistic audience. 555s
They were meeting with Jews. 562s
It avoided any argument, and it legitimized who Timothy was as a Jewish Christian convert. 565s
Paul was very consistent in the freedom through Christ, and he was very consistent in having respect for those to whom he witnessed. 574s
In first Corinthians, he wrote, 585s
for though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 587s
To the Jews, I became as a Jew in order to win Jews. 597s
To those under the law, I became as one under the law, though I myself am not under the law, 602s
so that I might win those under the law. 609s
To those outside the law, I became as one outside the law, though I am not free from God's law, 612s
but I am under Christ's law, so that I might win those outside the law. 620s
To the weak, I became weak, so that I might win the weak. 625s
I have become all things to all people that I might, by all means, save some. 631s
I do it all for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in its blessings. 637s
He is meeting people where they are. 644s
We are not taking any of these academy classes into the cherubs on Wednesday night, the preschoolers. 647s
That's not meeting them where they are. 656s
We are not taking a message that we have in our adult Sunday school class over to kids' beach club. 659s
We're playing games with them. 668s
We're having fellowship with them. 670s
We are sharing Bible stories. 674s
And we're answering questions, but we're meeting them where they are and where they are is they want to run around 678s
and ask questions and be excited. 684s
Paul met his audience where they were. 687s
He knew how to connect with whom he was speaking and he would use whatever means possible that God had granted him. 691s
He would never stray from the authority of God's word. 703s
He always stood under the authority of God and under the authority of God's direction. 706s
But he did it all for the sake of being able to share the gospel. 714s
Paul and Thylis have been joined by Timothy on their mission journey to strengthen the churches. 720s
We continue in verse 4 as they went from town to town. 727s
They delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 731s
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily. 738s
Paul had a plan. 745s
He had set out to strengthen the churches by bringing the word from Jerusalem to them. 747s
He set out to deliver the message that the apostles and the elders had come to through great debate, 754s
great prayer, and great discernment. 760s
And the new and younger churches were strengthened. 764s
They were maturing in their faith. 768s
They were maturing in their faith and we see the result that they were increasing in numbers daily. 772s
Do you know what this is? 782s
This is disciples making disciples. 784s
It's disciples making disciples at Pentecost in the early chapters of the book of Acts 789s
when we're reading about the thousands or the great numbers that are being added to those who believe 795s
daily or day by day. Those are ones who are often brought into the church, into the early church, 801s
by witnessing a miracle which allowed the opportunity to have that word of salvation that gospel 808s
proclaimed to them. That was how the word had originally begun spreading. 817s
But here, here as these Christians are maturing in their faith, they were becoming the missionaries, 825s
they were becoming the witnesses. And notice that as they matured, these mature disciples weren't 833s
sent out across the seas by Paul or Silas, the numbers weren't added across the ocean. 840s
It was right in their community. The missionaries, the witnesses, the mature Christians, 848s
were the missionaries in their own surroundings. Have you noticed it yet? Have you noticed it 856s
in your own lives yet? Have you noticed that the more that you study scripture, the more that you 866s
grow in your faith and that faith takes hold and the teachings start to shape and mold how you think 875s
how you speak? Have you noticed that the more mature you become, the more opportunities arise 883s
for you to share that faith with your neighbors? We can see it here. It is so amazing and so 892s
cool to watch as everyone is maturing in faith through equipping through Sunday school and Bible 902s
studies. And now the Academy, we are seeing opportunities like kids beach club or Octoberfest or 910s
friends speak. We are seeing missionary opportunities right in our own community open up every single 919s
day and it is so exciting. It's so exciting because it is God in action that we're witnessing 927s
and that we're called to be a part of. There's a pattern of belief, maturity, growing in faith, 936s
sharing that faith with someone and the seeds take hold and we have a new believer and then that 946s
new believer has belief, they mature in faith, they share or witness to someone else and those seeds 953s
take hold and we have another believer and then we start over with another believer who 961s
matures and faith there's a pattern. There is a pattern to this belief, maturity, witnessing, 968s
conversion, belief, maturity, witnessing and conversion. It's so exciting but the pattern is not new. 976s
It is the pattern of disciples making disciples. Sometimes disciples making disciples sounds like 985s
a little catchphrase but it's not. It's commanded when Jesus Christ with all authority on heaven and 994s
earth said to his disciples, go make disciples of all nations. He was telling his disciples to make 1002s
disciples. It was all a part of God's plan. God's plan was to call each and every one of you into 1014s
faith in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. God's plan was to reconcile you and all of creation 1027s
to Himself through the blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross. His plan was to hold all of our sin 1036s
upon Himself in Jesus through Jesus dying, holding the weight of the wrath of the Father so that you and I 1047s
are free to live without it. That we don't have to live in that wrath eternally separated from the 1059s
Father's Son and spirit. Instead we are called into that blessed community of love, 1068s
of forgiveness, of salvation through the Holy precious and innocent blood of Jesus Christ. God's plan 1076s
was to bring that word to you and God's plan is to bring that word of salvation 1084s
to the world through His disciples, which means that God's plan is to bring that word of salvation 1091s
to this community through you. Paul had a plan to strengthen the churches. It was really 1102s
coming to fruition. We can all stand in great awe of His leadership but was it really His 1112s
leadership? I was telling my family recently about a class I had to take every seventh 1122s
greater had to take it. It was called Quest and it was implemented just a year or two before I 1128s
started seventh grade but it was all about self esteem and all about being a leader. It was 1134s
had to be a follower. We should all be leaders and I thought well someone's got a follow if we 1141s
have a leader right? It was all about that self motivated leadership and the self authorized 1149s
leadership. We could argue that Paul was a great leader of the church and you would be absolutely 1158s
correct. He was a great leader of the church but the only reason that he was a great leader 1168s
in the church was because he was first an even greater follower of Christ. He was a greater follower 1175s
of where the spirit would lead him. Let's look at verse 6. They went through the region of Frigia 1186s
and Galicia having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had 1193s
come opposite my sia they attempted to go to Bethanyia but the spirit did not allow them. So passing 1199s
by a miscea they went down to Trollas during the night Paul had a vision. Their stood a man 1206s
of Macedonia pleading with him and saying come over to Macedonia and help us when he had seen the vision 1213s
we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia being convinced that God had called us to proclaim 1221s
the good news to them. Little note here did you see that or hear that shift? All of a sudden it 1228s
went from the third person to an inclusion. We Luke met up with Paul in Trollas. He started witnessing 1237s
this missional journey with Paul. Paul had a plan. He shared his plan but it wasn't God's plan. 1247s
Was it? He was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak in Asia. He was not allowed to go into 1258s
by Thinia by the spirit of Jesus and then God called them in Macedonia. No were on his plan. 1264s
That's where God was calling them. It's really interesting here that the direction from God 1273s
is recorded for us by Luke in the Trinitarian faith. We have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus 1281s
Christ and God all working in shaping the direction of Paul's mission. Paul was a planner. It made 1290s
sense for him to head to Asia. It made sense for him to head toward Bethinia because there were 1301s
major cities there. There were reports. There were lots of people that he could have witnessed too 1307s
but he wasn't allowed to go. We don't know how the missionaries knew they were being blocked 1314s
because scripture doesn't reveal it but we know that they were being blocked. He wasn't allowed 1321s
to lead where he thought he should have gone. He wasn't allowed to lead because unlike what I was 1327s
taught in seventh grade we aren't called to be leaders at least not in Christ. In Christ we are 1334s
called to be followers. Jesus said, come follow me. If you look through scripture through the 1342s
preconcitor, great leaders of faith have one thing in common. They were first and foremost 1356s
followers of Jesus Christ. When someone asks you, what is a Christian? What is a disciple? 1364s
I don't know about you. For me one of the first things I say is a follower of Christ. 1372s
A Christian is someone who follows Christ. A disciple is someone who follows Christ. 1378s
So while I was taught in seventh grade, the being a follower is bad, bad follower. In scripture 1385s
we're told this is the only way. This is the only way to be a true leader to be a follower 1393s
of Christ. Paul was very strategic in his planning but his plans got changed because he was also 1403s
sensitive to God. He was sensitive to the direction that God was taking him. Every single day we 1413s
make plans. Even for those of us who are not great planners, we make plans. We have appointments to 1422s
make. We have people to call. We have things we want to get done. We all have plans and they 1429s
sometimes get thwarted and our plans don't get followed through and it's frustrating. We get 1436s
flustered and we might even stomp our feet but I want to encourage you. When your plans get thwarted 1445s
when they don't go exactly according to your idea, I encourage you to stop. Step back and say, 1454s
okay, what am I missing here? Where are you taking me today? Where are you leading me? Who am I supposed 1464s
to speak to? Who or what am I supposed to see? Strategic planning but very sensitive to where God is 1475s
leading. Now that's not to mean that every little burning desire in your belly means that God is 1487s
taking you in a direction you may have had cabbage last night. So look to the word. We have exactly 1492s
what we need. Speak with other fellow believers. They will help you in the word to know, to discern. 1502s
We have so many opportunities every single day opening for us. God closed very specific doors 1515s
for Paul and Silas and then he very clearly opened the door to Macedonia. I think we all have 1526s
those doors that are very definitively closed before us. But look to the door that is being opened. 1536s
The door like kids beach club, the door like friend speak, the door that is your literal 1546s
neighbor's house. My prayer for all of us is that we would be leaders, that we would be leaders 1554s
through Christ in this community. But only because we are first followers. 1565s