When God Directs The Way | Acts 15:36-16:10

Paul and Barnabas part ways over a hard disagreement, and God brings a whole new team together — Silas, then young Timothy. But it’s a closed door in Asia and a vision of a man in Macedonia begging for help that finally shows Paul where God wants him next. Sometimes God directs us as much through the doors he closes as the ones he opens.

Scripture: Acts 15:36-16:10
Series: Living by the Spirit, Following the Way

The Way Church KC is a community of misfits & saints in the Rosedale neighborhood of Kansas City following the Way of Jesus & pushing back darkness — together. Join us Sundays or learn more at thewaykc.church.

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SPEAKER_01 0:06

Welcome to Sermons from the Way Church KC, a community of licensed saints in Kansas City, following the way of Jesus and pushing back darkness together.

SPEAKER_02 0:21

Good morning, everyone. Happy Mother's Day. Would you guys uh stand for the reading of God's Word? Today we're going to be in Acts 15 and 16, Acts 15, 36 through Acts 16, 10. And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, let us return to visit the brothers in every city where we proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they are. Now Barnabas wanted to take them take with them John called Mark, but Paul thought best not to take with them the one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Sicilia, strengthening the churches. Paul came also to Derby in Lystra. A disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them for the observance, the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. And they went through the region of Pyrgia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mesia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas, and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. This is the word of the Lord. You may be seated.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Amen, amen. Well, grab a seat. Welcome everyone to the Way Church KC. My name is Zach. I have the privilege of being the lead pastor here. If this is your first time here, welcome. We're glad you're here. We're glad you've uh chosen to join us this Sunday on Mother's Day. Um it's a great day of celebration and honoring the mothers in our life. Um if this is your first time, um we have a gift for you after service. We'd love to bless you with that. Um and then also um give away. I'll talk about that more later. Um we we when you fill out a connect card, we give money to nonprofits. So I'll talk about that later though. Um I I want to first like just acknowledge that Mother's Day can be a difficult day for some. Um maybe you've lost a mother. Um maybe you're you're praying to be a mother. Um maybe you've um dealt with the pain of loss in the past couple weeks. If that's you, what I want you to hear is that you are seen, um that God sees you, that God is with you, that God was not caught off guard by what you've recently walked through, um, that he's with you, that he's present in the darkness. He is your light in the darkness. So, with that said, we'll have plenty of celebrations to get into for Mother's Day. Um, we have some flowers after service, a flower. Build your own flower bouquet bar, is what it's called, I think. Something like that. So, we'll talk about that later, but if you like forgot to get flowers for your mom or your wife, that's a way you can do it. Also, if you're a mother, we'd love to bless you with some flowers. Um, but we're gonna jump right in. We have a lot of ground to cover in Acts 15. We we've been going through a sermon series through the book of Acts entitled Living by the Spirit and Following the Way. And so we're continuing in that. Um first I want to present a question to you. Have you ever had a moment where your plans completely fell apart? A few of us? I got some hands raised, that's right. But looking back, you realized that God was actually redirecting you.

unknown 5:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Your plans fell apart, but when you looked back in hindsight, you saw that God's hand was in it, that God was redirecting you. Maybe it was a strange relationship, maybe it was a door closed, maybe it was a plan in your life that you had for your life that was disrupted. Maybe it was the pain of searing loss. And in the moment, it felt frustrating, maybe it felt heartbreaking, very likely it was confusing, very likely it was painful, maybe it felt like everything around you was falling apart. And maybe you even asked, God, where are you in this? Where are you? But later, you saw it. You saw that God was not absent, but that God was guiding you through that circumstance, through that season, through that situation. Here's the the hard part this morning, guys. We usually only see God's guidance in reverse. Now, not all the time, but oftentimes we only see God's guidance, God's hand guiding us in hindsight. In the moment, conflict may feel unnecessary. In the moment, closed doors may feel disappointing. In the moment, delays may feel confusing. But what we see in today's text, what Acts 15 shows us, is that God is often doing his deepest work in the moments that we least understand. And that's exactly what today's text, Acts 15, 36 through 16, 10, shows us. If you've got your Bible, you can go ahead and open there. If you don't have a Bible, we'd love to give one to you right outside of the sanctuary doors. We have Bibles for you to have, for you to keep, for you to mark up. But that's what we see in today's text. Today we begin looking at Paul's second missionary journey. And remember, a few weeks ago we had the map kind of showing us the path of Paul's first missionary journey. Today begins Paul's second missionary journey. And what we continually see are messy relationships, our surprising decisions, and we see closed doors. And yet, and yet, through it all, God is actively directing his mission. I think that if we're being honest, so often we think that God's will looks like clarity, looks like ease, and looks like agreement. But Acts, the book of Acts, shows us something different. It shows us that God often works through conflict. It shows us that God often works through relationships. It shows us that God often works through closed doors. Here's our big idea this morning. Our big idea is this that God sovereignly directs his people even through conflict, relationships, and detours for the sake of his mission. God sovereignly directs his people even through conflict, relationships, and detours for the sake of his mission. I'll pray and then let's dig in. Heavenly Father, we love you, we praise you, we thank you for being here among us today. We thank you for all the mothers in this room, the aunts, the grandmothers, the spiritual mothers. Lord, I thank you for their years of faithfulness to raise children. To raise little disciples. Lord, we honor them today. And as we dig into your word, I pray that you make your name clear, that we would see your son Jesus clearly, that your Holy Spirit would move in this place. We love you, we praise you. And it's in the mighty name of Jesus, and everybody said, Amen, amen. So, point number one this morning as we dig in is that God uses conflict to multiply the mission. God uses conflict to multiply the mission. Acts chapter 15, verses 36 through 41. Read this. And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are. Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark, but Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphlia, and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commanded by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. So Paul says, Hey, let's go back and strengthen those churches that we've planted. Let's go check on the churches we've planted. What he's doing, he's displaying pastoral care, he's displaying the heart of a shepherd. And yes, it is true, Paul, he is and he was a great church planter, but he's not just planting churches. No, he's also strengthening them. He's continuing to go back and care for these churches and check on the elders and check on the leaders of the church. And so as they begin this second missionary journey, conflict immediately arises. Barnabas wants to take John Mark. Paul says, no. So why is this? Well, if you remember back in Acts 13, 13, Mark had withdrawn from the group. The Greek, for his withdrawing, it implies desertion. Like he straight up had abandoned them for all intents and purposes. And so we see this contrast here. Paul sees him as unreliable, but Barnabas sees him as redeemable. And verse 39, this is kind of the key verse in this section of text. It says this there arose a sharp disagreement. This isn't like mild tension. This isn't just like friends having a disagreement. This isn't bickering. No, this is intense relational conflict. And family, we should see and feel the sadness of this moment. Luke is painting ministry as it is. Like, let's be real. Let's call a spade a spade. Luke is painting ministry as it is. Ministry is hard. Ministry is tough. Ministry can be difficult relationally. And what we see, what this teaches us, is that even mature believers can disagree. In fact, even mature believers can have what the text says, a sharp disagreement. Guys, Christianity, it is not some sort of fairy tale. No, the reality is that godly people, they can struggle relationally. That happens, right? Maybe you've walked through it. Maybe you've walked through it recently. But here's the truth for us this morning. The church, we are the church, the church is made up of redeemed sinners.

unknown 13:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Who are still learning to walk in God's grace. And that's what we're seeing with the early church as well. For a little background information, Barnabas is Mark's cousin. Colossians 4 10 points it out to us. So that this is deeply personal. Paul, his emphasis is missional clarity, having clarity and being, his eyes being fixed on the mission. But Barnabas, here in the text, he is showing a focus on restoration. Both Paul and Barnabas are godly men, and both are right in different ways. The text doesn't tell us that, hey, one of them's right, one of them's wrong. That's not what it's saying. No, it's saying, hey, there was a disagreement. This was Paul's focus, this is Barnabas' focus. Their hearts are bent in different directions, both still honoring the Lord. And so what happens? Well, they separate. Barnabas takes Mark to Cyprus, and Paul takes Silas to Syria and Cilicia. And I don't want us to miss this this morning. At first glance, this looks like tremendous failure, right? But let's all zoom out for a second. Now there are two missionary teams instead of the one. Now there are two church planting teams that are going throughout the region. What we see is that God's sovereignty is not hindered by human conflict. You think that God was caught off guard by Paul and Barnabas's sharp disagreement? No. In fact, what this teaches us is that God often works through conflict. Romans chapter 8, verse 28 reads, And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. That verse is what is happening here in Acts. All things are working together for the good of those who love the Lord. And I think that that is a word for us today. Some of you are in that season of discouragement. Maybe you're in that season of sharp disagreement. Maybe it's ministry tension for you. Maybe you're walking out of a season of some really difficult ministry. Maybe it's leadership disagreement at your job. Maybe it's relational conflict within your home. Maybe it is heartbreak. Maybe it's a job transition. Maybe you just lost the very thing you've been praying for for years and years, and you don't see where God is. Whatever it is, wherever you are, hear this. God is not surprised by what you are walking through. In fact, He is sovereign over it. I think there's some of us, maybe you're nursing some wounds, you're walking with a limp, maybe someone hurt you, maybe leadership has disappointed you, maybe a friendship has recently been fractured. And Satan would love nothing more than to convince you that the mess means that God has abandoned you or that God has abandoned his church. But what the book of Acts reminds us is that Jesus is still building his church. Even through imperfect people. And family, aren't you just grateful that God does not abandon flawed disciples? Is there anybody in here that's perfect? No, we all got some flaws. All throughout the scriptures, there's people with some flaws. Mark failed, Peter denied Christ, Thomas doubted. Yet Jesus restores and continually uses broken people. And let me just tell you that Jesus is still using broken people today. The mission of Christ, the mission of the church, the mission of God's kingdom advances not because his servants are perfect, but because we have a Savior who is faithful. Now, now don't get it twisted. That doesn't excuse sin. But what it does is it anchors our hope. Our hope is anchored in the risen Christ. So after showing us what conflict looks like amongst the leaders, Luke now shows us something equally important. Luke shows us how God strengthens his church through intentional relationships and through discipleship. Point number two this morning is that God uses relationships to strengthen the church. God uses relationships to strengthen the church. Acts chapter 16, verses 1 through 5. The word says, Paul came also to Derby and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. So Paul comes to Lystra and he meets Timothy, who this is the first time we're introduced to Timothy in the book of Acts. The pastoral letters, first and second Timothy, were written from Paul to Timothy, but this is the first time we meet him in Acts. So who is this Timothy? Well, what the text shows us, he's a young believer. In the letters that Paul wrote him, Paul encourages Timothy not to let anybody look down on him because of his age. So he's this young believer. What we also see is that he is of a mixed background. He has a Jewish mother who was a believer, and he has a Greek father, who very likely was an unbeliever. Verse 2, verse 2 is critical. It says, he was well spoken of by the brothers. So what this is, this is character qualification. Before Timothy has any sort of platform, before he is accompanying Paul, he has a reputation as to his character, as to the man of God that he is. Then what we see something, we see something surprising happen. Paul circumcises Timothy. Now you might be sitting here being like, wait, didn't Acts 15, didn't the Jerusalem Council, didn't they just make this decision that circumcision is not required? The answer to that is yes. So why would they do this? Well, I want to point it out to you. Circumcision here in this text is still not required for salvation. But what we see is that it can be used for missional strategy. This isn't compromise, it's contextualization. They're contextualizing the gospel so that they can reach different people. Paul refuses circumcision when it is treated as a requirement for salvation, but he embraces flexibility when it removes unnecessary barriers to hearing the gospel. In other words, Paul is not going to compromise the message, but he will gladly adjust his preferences for the sake of God's mission. 1 Corinthians 9 22 later says, I've become, Paul says, I've become all things to all people. He's contextualizing the gospel so they can reach these people. Timothy, he is ethnically Jewish through his mother, so him being uncircumcised, it would have been a stumbling block to the Jewish people. And Paul encourages him to remove this barrier for the sake of the gospel. And I think just to zoom out for a second, it's pretty cool that we're introduced to Timothy today on Mother's Day. And I don't want us to breeze past this. This is kind of my favorite Mother's Day verse. If you look at 2 Timothy 1.5 and 2 Timothy 3.15, I think they speak to the emphasis of this day. This verse in Acts says that Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer. And we can just like read that and breeze past it, but we're going to sit in it. Later, Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1, verse 5. I'm reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and now I'm sure dwells in you as well. And then you continue on through 2 Timothy to chapter 3, verse 15. The word says, And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. So here's what I want us to see. Timothy's ministry did not start with Paul. It started with a faithful mother and a faithful grandmother. And some of you mothers may be sitting here today wondering, does this matter? Do my prayers matter? Does teaching my kids the scriptures matter? Well, I think today we can look at Timothy and see that the answer from Scripture is a resounding yes. A young man used mightily by God because of a mother who discipled him from an early age, from childhood. Because of a mother and a grandmother who passed down the faith. And here's what we see: faithfulness in the home fuels mission in the world. Now, moms, spiritual mothers, aunts, grandmothers, you you may never preach a sermon to thousands. You may never go into vocational ministry. You may never go on mission to the ends of the earth, but hear me when I say this. What I believe is that you have the most important ministry in the world. Every bedtime prayer, every scripture that's read at the kitchen table, every moment of faithful discipleship, it matters eternally. It matters. Right? What I'm convinced of is that the only reason I'm up here with the opportunity to preach God's word is because of a praying mama who was praying for me when I was in the darkness, who was praying for me when I was in the muck of the mire, and who God heard her prayers and plucked me out of that muck in the mire and set my feet on solid ground. So, mamas, keep praying. Keep interceding for your child. Keep believing for that child that's going to be coming soon. Don't quit praying. And church family, hear this. This is not only a parental assignment. No, the church helps to raise disciples together. Timothy had a mother discipling him, but he also needed Paul mentoring him. And he also needed the church affirming him. Because here's the fact of the matter: spiritual formation, it happens best in gospel community. Discipleship, it's intentional. Paul invests in Timothy. The church affirms Timothy. And the result, what we see in the text is that the churches were strengthened and increased in numbers daily. What we can pull from this is that healthy disciples produce growing churches. Think of a relay race. Paul uses this analogy in one of his letters. Timothy didn't start the race, but his mother handed him the baton. And she was handed by the baton by her mother. Right? It was a faith passed down from generation to generation. Paul didn't start Timothy's faith, but he helped him to run his leg of the race well. May we be a church who embodies these truths, family. And so that's Paul and Timothy and how they went about strengthening churches. But what we see as we continue looking at Acts 16 is that even with strengthened relationships and healthy discipleship, the mission still does not unfold the way that Paul expects. Which brings us to point number three that God uses detours to direct the mission. Point three, God uses detours to direct the mission. Acts 16, verses 6 through 10, the word says, And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come to Missa, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So passing by Missa, they went to Troas, and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately he sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. So we now see something unexpected. Paul tries to go to Asia, the Spirit says no. He tries Bithynia, the Spirit says no again. Imagine how confusing this must have been. Paul, he's not running from obedience. He's not in his Jonah season where he's fleeing from God's presence, fleeing from God's call on his life. No, he's actively trying to preach the risen Christ. Yet God keeps shutting doors. And the language used here, it's so strong. They are forbidden by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. This is direct divine intervention. Let that sit for a moment. Paul is trying to preach the gospel, and God says, no, not in these places. Because here's the fact of the matter for us: not every good opportunity is God's will. Not every good opportunity is God's will. Sometimes God's guidance is less about explanation and more about trusting him. God, he rarely shows the entire map. But he usually gives just enough light for the next step. And here's what I think we see that God's guidance, it's not just about open doors. Sometimes, maybe maybe you could even say oftentimes, it's also about closed doors. I think of my journey in vocational ministry. I uh, oh, what was it, 11-ish, 10-ish years ago, I was working, I began working in the nonprofit ministry world. And um I remember very early on feeling this calling, this burden to help build the local church, but I didn't know what it would look like. I started jiggling some door handles, seeing what doors were open. I got deep into the interview process at the church I was a part of in Oklahoma City, and they went a different route. So I felt like that was God closing the door. And so then I moved to Wichita with this nonprofit ministry and continued to do my best to walk faithfully. And then Chelsea and I moved up to Kansas City, still working with this nonprofit ministry. Um, but I got offered a position at this church I was a part of in Wichita. I thought it was a good opportunity. But Chelsea and I really felt distinctly that God had called us to Kansas City. So ultimately, I turned that position down, and then I got in some conversations with some guys with the church planting network and um began to uh converse with them, and he challenged us to start praying over whether God could be calling us to the work of church planting. And ultimately, to make a long story short, that brings us to here today. You see that there were closed doors, right? And there were some open doors that looked like good opportunities, but they were not of God. Some doors close to protect you. Some doors close to prepare you. Some doors are open, but they're not the right door to walk through. And some doors close to position you for something greater than you could ever imagine. The disciples here, they thought they were being delayed. But God, what he was doing, was actually directing the gospel toward Europe. That then comes the vision. A man from Macedonia has a vision and says, Come over and help us. Paul has this vision. And immediately he obeys and goes. This is huge. Don't miss this. This is the gospel entering Europe for the first time. And this moment, it shapes the future of Christianity. God undeniably uses several detours to get Paul and Timothy heading in this direction of gospel expansion, of kingdom work in motion. So for us today, maybe you're frustrated. Maybe you're in the detour. Maybe you've been knocked off the course that you thought you had mapped out for your life. Maybe you're frustrated because a job didn't work out. Maybe you're frustrated because a ministry door closed. Maybe you're frustrated because a plan failed. Maybe you're heartbroken because of loss. But what if God is not rejecting you? What if he is redirecting you? Think of uh GPS navigation. Who uses GPS on their phones? A lot of people. A lot of people. I was down in Oklahoma this week and the week before I was in Branson. I've been using GPS a lot, right? Like I can get around like town and get around Kansas City, but you get me out of the Kansas City city limits or get me out of the out to the sticks of Oklahoma. I very quickly need to use GPS. And my uh my in-laws, my wife's parents, they live in this like new neighborhood. The it's not all always like showing up. It it took us down this like really sketchy, dark road, um, thinking that it was getting us into their neighborhood, but then it was a dead end. But but what happens when when I missed the turn, it doesn't say like, hey, game over, you're just stuck here at this dead end. No. It redirects you. It says it's recalculating the direction you're going. And that's what God is doing here in this text. Closed doors are not dead ends, they are divine redirections.

unknown 35:30

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 35:33

So that's what we learn from the book of Acts in chapter 15 and 16 up to verse 10. Let's bring it all together. Ashton, you can come up and close us in song. We see three things clearly in Acts 15, 36 through 16, 10. First, we see that conflict did not stop the mission. Secondly, we see that relationships strengthened the mission. And thirdly, we see that detours redirected the mission. And through it all, what we see undeniably clearly is that God is guiding his people and moving his mission forward. And can I just tell you that today, God is still guiding his people and moving his mission forward. Right here in KCK at the Waychurch set, Casey, God is still guiding us, family, and he is still moving his mission forward. And praise God that we have the opportunity to play a small part in that. So for us this morning, the call is simple. Trust God in your conflict. Trust God in your conflict. He is working even when relationships are hard. Secondly, the second call that we see is to invest in discipleship. Your faithfulness may shape the next Timothy. And that goes for like, hey, discipleship at home, how you are discipling your kiddos. That goes for discipleship within the church, how we are discipling the new believer, taking someone from unbeliever to believer, baptized to new life in Christ. And third, we see to follow God through both open and closed doors. His no is often leading to a better yes. So if you're in a place of getting no's from God repeatedly, that's okay. God's redirecting you, God is guiding you. And maybe today you are standing or sitting in one of those Acts 16 moments. Maybe a relationship is painful, a door has closed, a season feels uncertain, and you're asking yourself, Lord, what are you doing here? Lord, what are you doing? Well, Acts reminds us that even when you cannot trace his hand, you can trust his heart. Why can we trust his heart? Why? Well, we can look to the cross. Jesus himself walked the path of suffering, walks the path of rejection, and walks the path of apparent detours. The cross, it looked like defeat. But what looked like tragedy, oh, it became the very means of salvation. And if God can use the cross for the redemption of his people, then he can certainly use your conflict, the season of difficulty that you're walking through. He can use that, your waiting, he can use that, your closed doors, he can use that for his glory and your good. You may not, family, you may not always understand the path. But you can always trust the one who is directing it. Amen. Let's pray and then let's worship. Heavenly Father, we love you, we praise you, we thank you for guiding us, for guarding us, for directing us, for going before us, Lord. We thank you that you have made a way where there is no way, time and time again.

unknown 39:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 39:39

Thank you, peace. God, I pray that today, whatever season we're in, whatever we're walking through, that you would comfort us, that you would give us peace, that you would make us whole, and that you would let us zoom out today and see the bigger picture of your goodness, of your grace, of your sovereignty, Lord. You are so good. You are guarding us, you're guiding us, you are directing us. And today we turn our will over to you again today, Lord. We praise you that we have grace for today, that your grace is sufficient for this day. God, I pray that if there is anyone in this room who does not yet know your son, Jesus, that they would make that decision today to confess that you are Lord and Savior of their life. We love you, Jesus. It's in his mighty name we pray, and all God's people said. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

Thanks for listening. Join us Sundays at 10 30 a.m. in the Rosedale neighborhood of Kansas City. Or find us anytime at thewakeac.church.