How Does A Christ-Follower Respond? Series

How Does a Christ-Follower Respond?

Acts 16:1-12

Introduction

The Christian brothers and sisters at Antioch had good reason to rejoice

-- They had been at the center of a great controversy; and stood firm in it

-- The controversy? Answering, “What must we do to be saved?”

The “church” wanted to set standards for Gentiles who accepted Jesus

-- But after debate, discussion, and prayer, they came to the right conclusion

-- They were made free ONLY because of Jesus Christ and His redemption

-- Jesus died on the cross. Jesus was raised from the God. Jesus is Savior!

Last week: We will not ALWAYS agree on EVERTHING – it is impossible

-- Anyone who thinks this way is really one who is out of touch with reality

-- The Disciples were humans and disagreed – and we will experience this as well

As believers, we are called to have a common purpose in what we do

-- The purpose is to worship, to love, and to celebrate Christ and share Him always

-- That is our challenge, mission, and it is where we find ourselves today

Title is, “How Does a Christ-Follower Respond?”

Read Acts 16:1-12

We’ve got four areas to cover this morning …

Point 1 – A follower pays it forward (1-3)

- Christ-followers are willing and able to share the good news with others

-- Paul was willing to take Timothy under his wing to train him further

-- Timothy knew the Lord, but admittedly needed more training in discipleship

-What do we know about Timothy?

-- Timothy was Jewish through his mother, but had never been circumcised, probably because his Gentile father did not believe it served any good purpose.

-- Paul had him circumcised so would be able to minister without offense

-- IMP: Paul knew that Timothy would get grief, so he took care of the issue

-- What we LEARN from Timothy is he’s willing to do whatever it takes

Last week we talked about John Mark, who appeared to lack commitment

-- By contrast, Timothy was willing to do whatever was necessary

-- He traveled with Paul, ministered in various places, and eventually became the Pastor (also referred to as an elder) at the church in Ephesus

Even though Paul was carrying a letter regarding circumcision’s non-value

-- Timothy was willing to do whatever it took to reach people at any level

THREE WEEKS AGO: You get on their boat, they WILL get on yours!

-Well, Paul invested in Timothy and trained him to be an effective Christ-follower. He encouraged him to boldly share the good news about Jesus.

He wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7-8, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”

-Furthermore, Paul trained Timothy to keep investing in others so that more and more people would learn to teach others about Jesus: 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

-Trans: When you pay it forward, you strive to work towards the same mission

Point 2 – A follower works as a team (4-5)

Paul knew that he wasn't the only one with a gift to teach, he deferred to others

-- Paul knew that these were men also called to lead, so he respected them

-- He may disagree with them later, but they were still qualified to teach

- Paul though, understood that the message must be one of unity and agreement

-- Galatians 2:11, “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.”

-- Paul did not undermine Peter or discredit his calling as an apostle of Christ

He was willing to face problems and work them out

-- He was loyal to the other apostles and leaders, and as we see in v.4-5

-- He carried their decisions to many churches

-- He knew he was no one-man show, but part of a team

- Even as a leader here I don’t (and will NEVER) seek blind allegiance

-- But, we should look to work together, following and serving in unity to Christ

-- I openly admit that I don’t have all the answers; but together WE have it all

Trans: Every believer can hear from the Holy Spirit, and we must listen

Point 3 – A follower listens to the Holy Spirit (6-8)

Do you regularly hear from God? (Deeper: Do you regularly LISTEN for Him?)

-- Have you developed your spiritual listening skills? (Listening … not talking)