Lose Your Mind 2 of 4

Objective: With improvement in mind, we will use Acts 16 as a guide for discipleship development, to lose our restrictive view in favor of God’s unrestricted power for progress.

‌Dealing With God’s No

Acts 16:6-10 New Living Translation… Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. ⁷Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. ⁸So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.

⁹That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” ¹⁰So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.

Introduction: When mortal control meets divine sovereignty, there will either be humble submission or hard headed rebellion.

-No doesn’t require any explanation (verses 6-8)

-No doesn’t mean cancelled, its a call (verse 9)

-No turns darkness into direction (verse 9)

-No turns potential into proclamation (verse 10)

Punchline: God’s no reveals our spiritual maturity, with the aim of toddler-like tantrums not hindering the progress of the grown-up work of the gospel.

Conclusion: No is hard to hear, but it’s helpful for who we are to become and for who will be made better because we lost our mind.

Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind (center/heart of you) is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Lose Your Mind 1 of 4

Objective: With improvement in mind, we will use Acts 16 as a guide for discipleship development, to lose our restrictive view in favor of God’s unrestricted power for progress.

‌You Were Born For This

Acts 16:1-5 New Living Translation… Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, 3 so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.

Introduction: Christians fully understand the precious beauty of birth, but we also understand the blessed burden of being bound to the purposes of God.

Transition: Luke, the author of our text, quickly shares a biographical sketch of who Paul meets. Verse 1 “…there was a young disciple named Timothy“.

Exposition:

-Christian legacy is strong.

Reference I Timothy 1:5

-Christian character is key.

-Christian progress is on the other side of pain.

Reference Acts 15:1-21

Conclusion: Timothy was mixed up, but thank God he wasn’t messed up!

Nehemiah 4:6 “So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work”.

Taking Jesus At His Word

Objective: To encourage disciples to be fully present in their relationship with God.

John 14:6 New Living Translation… Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”.

Introduction: There are three Greek words to for life… bios (physical), psuche (soul), and zoe (eternal).

Transition: Zoe is the divine life of God, imputed to humanity at salvation.

Exposition: Embrace the creation, resurrection, and eternal life of Jesus Christ that is imputed and accessible to us.

–Life-giving: Creation…

Reference John 1:3-4 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

‌-Life-saving: Resurrection… 

Reference John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live…

–Life-anchoring: Eternal… 

Reference I John 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Conclusion: Subtraction is not the business of our savior, but addition is! 

The God of Another Chance

Luke 13:6-9 NLT… Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. ⁷ Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ ⁸ “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. ⁹ If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”

Introduction: In the wake of two national tragedies, Jesus preaches that condemnation is not the posture to assume but repentance is. When we fail to repent, we choose to perish. Reference verses 1-5

Transition: This parable of the barren fig tree is an appendix of the verses that precede it. It’s Jesus’ way of illustrating that when your focus is judgmental, critical, and damning of others, you have lost sight of your responsibility to be faithful and fruitful.

-The landowner’s expectation is fair but futile… verse 6

-The landowner’s evaluation is not rash but reasonable… verse 7

-The extension is granted because of the gardener’s plea for mercy and plan for grace… verse 8

Conclusion: This story is left incomplete, because it wasn’t about the tree in the first place. There is a possibility for conversion or condemnation… verse 9