Acts 16:1-5

Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to Acts chapter 16.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 16, our text for this morning is verses 1-5.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

! Before we read this morning's text, let me remind you where we are in Luke's second narrative.

We've got the Gospel according to Luke, and then this book we call the Acts of the Apostles most often.

I like to call it the Acts of the Risen Jesus Christ.

We see that Jesus is working by the agency of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His disciples for the expansion of His church.

Beloved, this is our history. It's a wonderful thing to get to spend such a vast amount of time.

It's going to be probably, I think, about two years that we'll be in the book of Acts.

Considering this early church, these are our brethren.

At the end of chapter 14, we saw Paul and Barnabas complete their first missionary journey,

returning to Antioch, where they were commissioned in the first place.

At the beginning of chapter 15, false teaching reaches Antioch.

People travel to Antioch, preaching this, Acts chapter 15, verse 1,

Acts 15:1

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers,

Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.

So, Paul and Barnabas are sent to Jerusalem to seek clarity from the other apostles.

These teachers, these false teachers have traveled from that region,

So they go to make sure that they haven't erred in teaching that you must not be circumcised to be saved.

So they're sent to Jerusalem to seek clarity.

At what's often called the Jerusalem Council,

the apostles and elders in Jerusalem decidedly affirm

that all that is necessary for salvation is faith in Jesus.

And then they give some further instruction in the form of a letter.

And Clay came and spoke to us both about the decision they made,

as well as the letter and the deliverance of it.

You can see in Acts chapter 15, verse 29, the further instruction.

Acts 15:29

Abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols,

and from blood, and from what has been strangled,

and from sexual immorality.

And so we find in this further instruction,

three cultural considerations.

These were matters of offense to the Jews.

Food sacrificed to idols, and blood, and from animals that had been strangled.

These would have been things that would have been offensive to a Jewish culture.

So three cultural considerations, and one moral obligation,

that is abstain from sexual immorality.

So this is the decision that's been made.

The letter goes back to Antioch,

and after some time,

Paul and Barnabas decide to retrace their first missionary route

to check on the churches established on their first journey.

We see that at the very end of chapter 15, beginning in verse 36.

But conflict, in the form of a sharp disagreement,

arises between them about whether or not to take John Mark along with them,

which results in their parting ways.

Now we noted last week that the good result of this,

what I would suggest, sinful conflict,

was missionary multiplication.

The one band of missionaries

has now turned into two bands of missionaries

as Barnabas goes west with John Mark

to the island of Cyprus,

and Paul heads north with Silas.

Now Silas was one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem.

He was both a Jew and a Roman citizen,

so like Paul,

he had the protection of the empire

and could get entrance into the Jewish synagogues.

Silas was a perfect partner for Paul's second missionary journey,

but Paul, and I'm going to guess,

say likely due to his division with Barnabas,

now seems to have a mind toward multiplication.

What happens when Silas and I part ways?

What would come of that?

So he seems to have a mind now toward multiplication.

And so we see at the beginning of Acts chapter 16,

Acts 16:1–5

verses 1 through 5,

this bridge in our story.

Beloved,

this is God's Word to us.

It was written for His glory and our good.

We would all do well to listen to it

in order to believe its promises

and obey its commands.

His promises are sure and His commands are good.

Beginning in verse 1,

Paul came also to Derbe 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 circusized 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.

Now this morning, I just have two points.

One, the first point we'll spend some time on,

and the second will be very brief.

The two points are,

number one,

the freedom to circumcise Timothy.

And number two,

the effect of circumcising Timothy.

But before we get to those two points,

let's first spend a little time

on some textual explanations.

We'll look at the first two verses.

Now for your sake,

on the back of the bulletin,

I asked Andy this week

to put a map of Paul's

second missionary journey.

I don't know if you're like me,

but it really helps me

to be able to wrap my mind

a bit around what's going on.

I asked Andy to do this yesterday,

and he did a great job

of finding a map

that the kids would enjoy coloring.

We think that it's in Italian.

So if you're looking at the odd spellings

across the map,

I think you're smart enough

to figure out the locations,

but we're pretty sure

it's an Italian map

of these locations,

which is why you may see

some spellings a tad different,

like check out Jerusalem

down at the bottom.

Gerusalemme is what it looks like.

So anyway,

that's what's happening here.

So you've got,

the island of Cyprus

is not labeled on this map,

but it's out there

just up in that far right-hand corner,

high right-hand corner

of the Mediterranean Sea.

This is the place

that Barnabas was from.

This is the place

that the missionary journey

of Paul and Barnabas

started out.

They crossed over

and went to the island of Cyprus.

And then from the western coast of Cyprus

headed north

into the region

where they finally

ended their missionary journey

and circled back down and around.

This time, though,

Barnabas heads to Cyprus.

Paul and Silas head north

and then hook a hard left

to head their way

to Derbe and Lystra.

So that gives you some idea

of where they are.

If you think of the first missionary journey

as going clockwise,

they're going now counterclockwise.

back the other way.

And it's possible,

it's probable,

they do this

so that they could pick up Timothy.

Paul now having this mind

toward multiplication,

picking up Timothy

to accompany them

on the rest of that journey.

We find out a little bit

about Timothy in this text.

Timothy was a believer in Christ.

The text says he was a disciple.

In the Greek term for disciple,

there simply means believer.

In fact, other places in the text.

Referring to his mother,

believer is the exact same Greek word.

Likely converted

on Paul and Barnabas' first trip.

So when they traveled

into this region before,

it's been a couple of years now,

it was likely when he was converted.

We don't know that for sure.

Certainly Christian ministry

has been going on

in this community

since Paul and Barnabas' departure.

But it's likely

that that was the case

because in Paul's first letter to Timothy,

he writes,

1 Timothy 1-2,

to Timothy,

my true child in the faith.

We can't know for sure

that that's the case.

Certainly Paul played

a very fatherly role in his life.

But it's likely

that he was the one

that proclaimed the gospel to him

and Timothy came into the faith family

as a result of his tutelage of him.

We also find out

that Timothy's mother

was a believer.

Her name was Eunice.

We see in our text

the son of a Jewish woman

who was a believer.

We find out in 2 Timothy 1-5,

her name is Eunice,

as well as the fact

that his grandmother

was also a believer.

2 Timothy 1-5,

Paul writes,

I am reminded

of your sincere faith,

a faith that dwelt first

in your grandmother Lois

and in your mother Eunice,

and now I am sure

dwells in you as well.

We also find out

that his father

was not a believer in Christ

and that he was likely dead.

So we get a little phrase

in verse 1,

but his father was a Greek.

The conjunction, but,

refers both to Eunice's ethnicity

and her faith.

So you could read it this way,

but his father was not a believer

and his father was not a Jew.

It refers to both things.

Not a believer

and not a Jew.

His father was a Greek.

And the imperfect form

of the verb was,

rather than the present tense

of the verb,

suggests that he was dead.

He's already moved off the scene.

So Timothy, as a young man,

does not have a father,

and Paul, in some sense,

adopts him

and takes him on this journey.

We also find out

in verse 2

that Timothy

was faithful.

Verse 2 says,

he was well spoken of

by the brothers

at Lystra

and Diconium.

Luke records this for us

in the specific way

to say of the brothers,

because the brothers

are speaking well

of a man

because he's a brother,

not because he was

good at some particular skill.

Like his bow staff skills

were not excellent,

and so he was spoken

well of.

But he was a man

full of faith.

The brothers

considered him faithful.

And because

Timothy's father

was Greek,

he had not allowed

Timothy to be circumcised.

It's likely that his mom

and his grandmother

would have wanted him

to be circumcised,

but his father

prevented this

from happening,

which brings us

to our first point

from our text

this morning.

Number one,

the freedom

to circumcise

Timothy.

So we see in verse 3,

Paul wanted Timothy

to go along with him,

this faithful follower

of Jesus,

to go along with him.

And he takes him

and he circumcises him.

It seems that Paul

actually performs

a circumcision,

although we can't

be too sure.

He takes him

and he circumcises him

because of the Jews

who were in those places,

for they all knew

that his father

was a Greek.

That is,

they all knew

that he was not

circumcised.

So these Jews

would have been aware

of this fact

that he had not

been circumcised

on the basis

of who his father was.

And this fact

is what causes Paul

to circumcise him.

But why?

Why?

Paul was an ardent

defender

of salvation

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone.

He stood firm on that.

There were no works.

His whole trip

to Jerusalem,

the whole Jerusalem

council thing

was about him

affirming what he

had been teaching

Gentile believers.

Listen to some of his words

to the Galatian believers.

This is a group,

a church,

who were beginning

to believe the false

teaching that they

must be circumcised

to be saved.

This is some years later

when Paul writes

his letter to the

Galatian church.

Join me, if you will,

in the book of Galatians.

I think you'll appreciate

being there

and seeing these texts.

Remembering that Paul

was a defender

of salvation

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone.

And the question before us is,

so why did he

circumcise

Timothy?

So let's start

in Galatians chapter 2,

Galatians 2:15

verses 15 and 16.

So the scene is,

what was often called

the Judaizers,

have come into

the Galatian church

and they've led

them astray

saying,

oh no, no,

believing in Jesus

is good,

but you must also

be circumcised

to be saved.

And Paul writes,

we ourselves

are Jews

by birth

and not

Gentile sinners.

Yet we know

that a person

is not justified,

found right before God,

by works of the law,

but through

faith in Jesus Christ.

So,

we also,

right,

these people

being Jews

by birth,

we also have

believed in

Christ Jesus

in order

to be justified

by faith in Christ

and not

by works

of the law.

Because by works

of the law,

no one

will be

justified,

right?

So justification

comes

by grace alone

through faith alone

in Jesus Christ

alone.

Further,

Galatians chapter 3,

Galatians 3:1–3

verses 1 through 3.

Paul writes,

oh foolish Galatians,

who has bewitched you?

It was before your eyes

that Jesus Christ

was publicly

portrayed

as crucified.

Let me ask you

only this.

Did you receive

the Spirit

by works

of the law

or by hearing

with faith?

Are you so foolish?

Having begun

by the Spirit,

are you now

being perfected

by the flesh?

Again,

this defense

against them

altering their

physical being

to be found

right before God.

Galatians chapter 5,

Galatians 5:1

verse 1.

Paul writes,

for freedom

Christ has set us free.

Stand firm,

therefore,

and do not

submit again

to a yoke

of slavery.

Strong language,

right?

It's for freedom

that Christ

has set us free.

Stand firm,

therefore.

He's saying

refuse

to be circumcised

because if you are

thinking that you'll be saved,

you're submitting yourself

again

to a yoke

of slavery.

Paul

had gone so far

as refusing

to have Titus

circumcised.

If you turn back

a few pages now

to Galatians chapter 2,

Galatians 2:1

verse 1.

Paul is telling

the story

of traveling

to Jerusalem,

to the Jerusalem council

that we have learned

about in chapter 15.

So he's now,

many years later,

he's recounting

what he did

that's recorded

by Luke

in Acts chapter 15.

Acts 15 · chapter mention

So Galatians chapter 2,

Galatians 2:1–5

verses 1 through 5,

he says,

Then after 14 years

I went up again

to Jerusalem

with Barnabas,

taking Titus

along with me.

That's that trip

beginning of chapter 15.

I went up

because of a revelation

and set before them,

though privately

before those

who seemed influential,

the gospel

that I proclaim

among the Gentiles

in order to make sure

I was not running

or had not run

in vain.

So I talked about that

briefly a minute ago.

He's preaching

a gospel

of justification

or salvation

by grace alone

through faith alone

in Christ alone.

This is what he's preaching.

And because these

Judaizers have come

from Judea

and made their way

to Antioch,

he wants to make sure

that the message

that they're preaching

didn't come from

the apostles

and the elders

in Jerusalem.

He wants to go

affirm that.

Have I screwed this up?

Am I preaching

the right and true

gospel?

The answer to that

is yes.

But verse 3,

he says,

But even Titus,

who was with me,

was not forced

to be circumcised,

though he was

a Greek.

So Titus,

they refused

to circumcise Titus.

In one case

with Timothy,

Timothy is circumcised.

In the other case,

Titus is withheld

from him.

He was not forced

to be circumcised.

Verse 4,

Yet because a false

brother secretly

brought in,

who slipped in

to spy out

our freedom

that we have

in Christ Jesus

so that they might

bring us into slavery,

to them we did not

yield in submission

even for a moment

so that the truth

of the gospel

might be preserved

for you.

So men have come in

and they're teaching,

you must be circumcised

to be saved.

Works of the law

justify you

before God.

And Paul,

I'm assuming

Barnabas and Titus

and many others

in the church,

refused for Titus

to be circumcised.

They stood their ground.

They did the very thing

that he encouraged

them to do

in Galatians 5.1.

Stand firm,

therefore,

and do not submit

again to a yoke

of slavery.

So that's the scene.

This is that Paul.

So why

did Paul

have Timothy

circumcised?

Wouldn't it have been

better to prove

that salvation

is by grace alone,

through faith alone,

and Christ alone

by making Timothy

a case study?

He could have

traveled the region

and said,

point proven.

This is Timothy.

You may not know it,

but he's not circumcised.

To make the very case?

Paul doesn't seem

to think so.

And so we find

an example here

of Christian liberty

being exercised

properly.

Freedom in Christ

properly being exercised.

Timothy

was free

not

to be circumcised.

But for the sake

of the souls

of Jews

in the region,

he was.

False teachers

would have had

Titus circumcised

for his salvation,

and Paul refused

such a thing.

But for the unbelieving

Jews

of the region,

Timothy's uncircumcision

would have proven

to be a barrier

for the understanding

of the gospel

of grace.

They wouldn't have

even wanted to hear

what they had to say

traveling around

with a man

whose father

was a Greek

who was uncircumcised.

It would have been

a stumbling block

for them

to hear

the gospel

of Christ.

While Paul

was sent

by God

as the apostle

to the Gentiles,

he maintained

in the midst

of all of his

missionary journeying,

he maintained

an unwavering

commitment

to the Jewish

people.

Listen to his words

from Romans 9,

Romans 9:1–3

verses 1-3.

I am speaking

the truth in Christ.

I am not lying.

My conscience

bears me witness

in the Holy Spirit.

It's great,

like he's loading

that up, right?

I'm speaking

the truth in Christ.

I am not lying.

My conscience

bears me witness

in the Holy Spirit.

He's saying,

I am telling you

the truth,

verse 2,

that I have great sorrow

and unceasing anguish

in my heart,

for I could wish

that I myself

were accursed

and cut off

from Christ

for the sake

of my brothers,

my kinsmen,

according to the flesh.

Oh, beloved,

that we would have

a heart for people

like that.

That we would gladly

give up our position

in the kingdom

that others

might have

a standing,

a right standing

with the Lord.

So,

Timothy

exercises his freedom

by giving up

a little thing

for the sake

of others.

By giving up

a little thing

for the sake

of others.

Now,

a little thing,

of course I'm speaking

relatively here.

It feels pretty weighty

to me,

what Timothy

was willing

to do

for the sake

of others.

And so,

I want to just

take you to an

Old Testament example

of this

so that we don't

have to talk

about the anatomy

of what happened,

but to show you

the extent

of what happened.

So,

turn to Genesis

Genesis 34 · chapter mention

chapter 34.

This is one of my

favorite Old Testament

Bible stories.

I can't tell you

all that it means

because I don't

know.

But this one

rivals the

she-bears,

if you're familiar

with the

she-bear story.

Two things

I want you to get

from this.

I am actually

going to read it

because it's always

good when there's

a long story

to summarize it.

I think it's

best summarized here.

I want you to

appreciate the

Old Testament.

If you're not

an Old Testament

reader,

I hope you just

go,

whoa,

what?

And you appreciate

that,

so it's like a

side hope

for this.

But then I also

want you to know

that what Timothy

did as an adult

man was kind

of a big deal.

So,

beginning in

verse 1

of chapter 34,

now Dinah,

the daughter of

Leah,

whom she had

borne to Jacob,

went out to see

the women of

the land.

And when Shechem,

the son of Hamor,

the Hivite,

the prince of the

land,

saw her,

he seized her

and lay with her

and humiliated her.

He raped her.

Verse 3,

And his soul was

drawn to Dinah,

the daughter of

Jacob.

He loved the

young woman and

spoke tenderly to

her.

So Shechem spoke

to his father,

Hamor,

saying,

Get me this girl

for my wife.

Now Jacob heard

that he had

defiled his

daughter Dinah,

but his sons

were with his

livestock in the

field,

so Jacob held

his peace

until they came.

Adult sons.

And Hamor,

the father of

Shechem,

went out to

Jacob to speak

with him.

The sons of

Jacob had come

in from the

field as soon

as they heard

of it,

and the men

were indignant

and very angry

because he had

done an outrageous

thing in Israel

by lying with

Jacob's daughter,

for such a

thing must not

be done.

But Hamor spoke

with him,

saying,

The soul of my

son Shechem

longs for your

daughter.

Please give her

to him to be

his wife.

Make marriages

with us.

Give your

daughters to us

and take our

daughters for

yourselves.

You shall dwell

with us and the

land shall be

open to you.

Shechem also

said to her

father and to

her brothers,

Let me find

favor in your

eyes and

whatever you

say to me

I will give.

Ask me for

as great a

bride price as

gift as you

will and I

will give you

whatever you

say to me.

Only give me

the young

woman to be

my wife.

The sons of

Jacob answered

Shechem and

his father

Hamor deceitfully

because he had

defiled their

sister Dinah.

This is where

it gets really

good.

They said to

them,

We cannot do

this thing to

give you our

sister to one

who is uncircumcised

for that would be

a disgrace to us.

Only on this

condition will we

agree with you

that you will

become as we

are by every

male among you

being circumcised.

Then we will

give our

daughters to you

and we will

take your

daughters to

ourselves.

We will dwell

with you and

become one

people.

But if you

will not listen

to us and

be circumcised,

we will take

our daughter and

we will be

gone.

So they asked

the entire

city, like

Hamor and

his son rule

over to be

circumcised,

all the males.

All right,

verse 18.

Their words

pleased Hamor and

Hamor's son

Shechem.

And the

young man did

not delay to

do the thing

because he was

delighted.

I love that,

to do the

thing, because

he delighted in

Jacob's daughter.

Now he was the

most honored of

all his father's

house.

So Hamor and

his son Shechem

came to the

gate of their

city and spoke

to the men of

their city,

saying,

These men are

at peace with

us.

Let them dwell

in the land

and trade in

it.

For behold,

the land is

large enough for

them.

Let us take

their daughters

as wives and

let us give

them our

daughters.

Only on this

condition will the

men agree to

dwell with us

to become one

people, when

every male among

us is circumcised

as they are

circumcised.

Will not their

livestock, their

property, and all

their beasts be

ours?

Only let us agree

with them and

they will dwell

with us.

And all who

went out of the

gate of his

city listened to

Hamor and his

son Shechem, and

every male was

circumcised, all

who went out of

the gate of his

city.

And here's the

punchline.

On the third

day, when they

were sore, two

of the sons of

Jacob, Simeon and

Levi, Dinah's

brothers, took

their swords and

came against the

city while it

felt secure and

killed all the

males.

They killed

Hamor and his

son Shechem with

a sword and took

Dinah out of

Shechem's house and

went away.

I don't know

what it means.

But, a bunch of

men who had been

circumcised, adult

men who had been

circumcised, were

slain by two guys.

It could not have

been pleasant.

So Timothy gives

this up for the

sake of others.

Are you with me?

Like, Paul says,

hey, I want you to

come with me, but

there's this thing I

need you to do.

And Timothy lays

that down.

For the sake of

others.

He was free to

say no.

He could have

refused.

The gospel allowed

that of him.

But he was

willing to do

this for others.

Beloved, the

grace of God

to us is free,

or else it would

not be grace at

all.

But the call to

follow Christ is a

costly call.

He requires all

of us.

Every bit of

us.

Timothy's

sacrifice was a

little thing.

But it was

only little in

comparison to the

eternal state of

unbelieving Jews.

Paul makes

sacrifice as well

in the same and

many various

ways.

You can read

about this in

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:19–22

chapter 9

verses 19

through 22.

Paul said

this,

verse 19

for though I

am free from

all, I have

made myself a

servant to

all that I

might win more

of them.

You see what he's

saying?

Even though the

regulations that

people want to

place on me, the

rules that they

want to follow, I'm

free from those

things, but yet I

submit myself to

them that I might

win more of

them.

Verse 20,

to the Jews I

became as a

Jew in order to

win Jews.

To those under

the law I

became as one

under the law,

though not being

myself under the

law, that I

might win those

under the law.

To those outside

the law I became

as one outside

the law, not

being outside the

law of God, but

under the law

of Christ, that I

might win those

outside the law.

to the weak I

became weak, that

I might win the

weak.

I become all

things to all

people, that by

all means I

might save some.

So what Paul is

saying is for the

sake of weaker

faith people, we

make decisions, we

practice our

Christian liberty in

a way that's good

for their soul.

There are many

examples.

You can go

almost an endless

list of gray

areas that we

have to navigate

as followers of

Jesus Christ.

I just want to

give you two in

brief.

The first one is

the matter of

alcohol.

Much talked about

in Southern

Baptist denomination.

There's always a

new article, there's

always some new

motion being

passed.

You almost can't

go to a Southern

Baptist meeting

without some talk

of just saying

no,

to alcohol.

alcohol.

The Bible doesn't

do that to us.

It doesn't do

that.

It doesn't place

that as a law on

us.

So those of you

who are under

21, this is not

permission to drink.

Obey the law of

our land.

But for those of you

who are over, you

have the freedom to

drink.

Alcoholic beverages,

right?

Not to become drunk,

but to drink.

This is permissive.

And there are many

people in our age that

in order to practice

their Christian liberty,

make a real big deal

about a drinking

alcohol, right?

As if they're trying

to show how glorious

the gospel is because

they get to drink

lots of beer.

Ridiculous.

And in fact, I think

a lot of the strong

response within the

Southern Baptist

Convention against

alcohol is because

of those idiots.

I know someone who

has stated, and I

hope he's grown past

this, but that his

mission is to redeem

beer drinking.

What does that mean?

What does that even

mean redeem beer

drinking?

So we're given

permission, but oh,

we should be careful

about the how.

There are many people

who will sit in rows

in our churches who

would be offended by

me even suggesting

that it's okay, who

would say, I can't

even listen to this

guy.

I'm sorry.

All I know is to

preach the Bible.

But we ought not

rub things in other

people's faces because

we can.

You are practicing your

Christian liberty in not

drinking as well.

In deciding that a

circumstance is not the

best circumstance for

such a thing.

We're deciding altogether

that you may not.

And so we practice

Christian liberty in many

varied ways, but it's

always aimed, rightly

practiced, at gospel

proclamation, at gospel

advancement.

So we don't feel like

someone has their thumb

down on us because

they're weaker in the

faith than we are.

But we pick that up and

we accept it for the sake

of their soul.

The way I dress on Sunday

is much simpler, much

less complicated, right?

Topic.

I have the freedom to

preach in flip-flops and

shorts and a t-shirt.

God does not look at what

I'm wearing on a Sunday

morning and then empower

my preaching because I'm

wearing a jacket or a tie

occasionally with my

shirt's tucked in.

I could be much more

comfortable on a Sunday

morning.

I have the freedom to do

that, but I am legitimately

concerned that someone

comes in amongst us and

can't even hear the words

coming out of my mouth

because they see me as

disrespectful to the

position that I hold.

We live in a culture that

thinks in those terms.

We live in a culture where

many people grew up in

churches where the pastor

always had on a suit.

Usually an ill-fitting

suit because he doesn't get

paid enough to buy nice

suits.

I would wear a suit every

Sunday morning for the

sake of your soul.

And I hate wearing suits,

but I would do it for the

sake of your soul because I

don't think that this is a

crowd that typically cares

about such a thing.

I don't.

If I began to think that

that was the case, I

definitely would.

So we consider, we

practice liberty, and I'm

not practicing my liberty

when I put on a jacket

Sunday morning.

Did you guys notice I have

one jacket I wear on

Sundays?

Because I like it.

But I'm practicing my

Christian liberty when I

put it on.

Right?

I've been set free.

I've been set free from the

law.

So putting on this jacket

is a practice of liberty,

not a neglect of Christian

liberty.

So, Paul circumcises

Timothy for this reason,

for the sake of people's

souls, so that Timothy would

not be a stumbling block in

their traveling and in their

entrance into the

synagogues.

Timothy would not have been

allowed in the synagogues

having been uncircumcised.

So he's able now to

participate fully in that

tradition and share the

gospel with people.

So he circumcises

Timothy and then verse 4

says they went on their

way through the cities and

it's so fascinating that the

way Luke records this, that

what they're doing is they're

delivering to them for

observance the decisions that

have been reached by the

apostles and elders who were

in Jerusalem.

The thing they're going and

doing is teaching all of the

churches that they don't

have to be circumcised.

It's the very thing that

they're teaching them.

Hey, don't be circumcised,

but be culturally sensitive.

Wasn't that the drive of that

message?

Remember, abstain from what

has been sacrificed to

idols and from blood and

from what has been

strangled and from sexual

immorality.

These cultural considerations,

matters of offense to the

Jews and this one moral

obligation.

You see, Paul understands the

spirit of the letter.

Paul doesn't accept it as

just a mere list, a new law,

but he understands the

spirit of the letter.

And he applies this idea of

cultural consideration of not

being stumbling blocks for the

Jews to the very matter that the

letter sought to unburden the

Gentile believers from.

He takes along a young man who

will be a leader in the church and

a missionary companion for him and

has him circumcised to aid in

bringing people to faith in Christ.

On your bulletin, the quote from A.W.

Tozer, who was a 20th century pastor and

author, he said this,

Be hard on yourself and easy on others.

Carry your own cross, but never lay one on

the back of another.

Paul preached in delivering this message

for observance.

Paul preached salvation by grace alone,

through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.

And all of that lived out in love.

It becomes the grateful response to what

God has done for us in Christ,

that we then turn and love others.

And we lay down our own will for the sake of

others.

So this is the freedom that was exercised in

the circumcision of Timothy.

And then second and brief, the effect of

circumcising Timothy.

It's not really an entirely fair second point

because the effect we see in verse 5 is not

just because Timothy is circumcised.

So I hope you'll catch what I'm trying to say.

Paul's missionary troop is traveling about.

They're delivering a message.

It's a gospel message.

And the gospel preached and practiced

always results in fruit.

The gospel preached and practiced

always results in fruit.

Verse 5, so because of, right?

Not just because of Timothy's circumcision,

but because of his circumcision

and the message being preached.

So, the churches were strengthened in the faith

and they increased in numbers daily.

So the gospel preached and practiced

always results in fruit.

The fruit of what?

The fruit of increased faith.

The church is being built up in faith.

And the fruit of new faith.

Faith.

They're increasing in numbers as well.

Not only are they growing in their depth,

but they're also growing in their breadth.

as the gospel is both preached and practiced.

I hope it's becoming familiar to you.

There it is up on the screen.

The vision statement of our church,

which is not unique for our church,

shouldn't be anyway,

that our church exists to glorify God,

to magnify His name,

by experiencing,

proclaiming,

and displaying the supremacy of Jesus Christ

in all things,

to all peoples.

And that derives at the very point

that I'm making now.

That we both know that Jesus Christ is supreme

to anything else,

to anything we might be able to do

under Christian liberty.

Christ is better.

And all that I have should be leveraged

to have more of Him.

To experience Him deeper.

To be known by Him greater.

All of this should be leveraged

at that very point.

That we would know Christ as supreme

in our experience.

And that will move us,

it will drive us out

to both say that to be true

and to live it to be true as well.

Practiced and preached.

And I am so challenged

by verses like verse 5 of chapter 16.

As they're doing these very simple things,

traveling around,

preaching the gospel,

Timothy is now circumcised,

and they're strengthened in the faith,

and they increased in numbers daily.

What a phenomenal thing

to have happen in the life of our church.

So here's some simple application for you.

First,

are you saved

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Jesus Christ alone?

beloved,

I fear that we live in a day and age

where people have been sold

a cheap grace gospel,

a crossless Christianity,

Christianity,

and a crossless Christianity,

it's a Christless Christianity,

and it's not Christianity at all.

That you have been told,

growing up,

young,

likely,

possibly,

in churches,

that simply,

going through some motions,

taking some steps,

doing a few things,

repeat after me,

sign a card,

get dunked in water,

and you're a follower of Jesus.

And all of those things

may have been part of your story

of coming to faith

in Jesus Christ,

but I fear that there are

countless people

who believe they're Christians

and are not Christians at all.

So you have to ask yourself

an honest question.

When I think about

why it is I'm a Christian,

is that because of things

that I did

or because God saved me

by His grace?

The picture is,

those of you who like

good rap music,

Shilin,

we're not drowning in the ocean,

and God throws us a rope,

and we reach out and grab it.

The picture is that we are dead

on the bottom of the ocean,

and Christ leaps in,

and He swims down,

and He pulls us up,

and He breathes life

in our lungs, right?

As that's your experience, right?

I was a wretched enemy of God,

and God woke me up

in Christ.

He saved me.

Are you saved by grace alone

through faith alone

in Jesus Christ alone?

Is your righteousness

in Christ's person

and work

or in your working?

Secondly,

if you are saved by grace alone

through faith alone

in Jesus Christ alone,

I hope you have a confidence

of that this morning.

What might God be requiring of you

in order that some

might be saved?

How could God be suggesting to you

that you reorient your life

so that some

might be saved?

Is there anything you can think of now

that you would be unwilling

to give up?

Anything.

Would you be unwilling

to give up

in order to see the church

strengthened in the faith

and increasing

in numbers

daily?

I would suggest to you

that there are things

like that.

That if you would

ask God

to search your heart

and take some time

to consider

what you might

hold on to

that's not Jesus,

things that you worship

instead of Him,

and if you would by grace

let those things go,

we would see

things begin to happen.

The church strengthened,

increasing in numbers

daily.

Wouldn't that be

a wonderful blessing?

Let's pray together.